The Girl Who Played With Fire
by Fell-and-Fallen
Summary: After the events of "An Assassin in Our Midst", Ash has joined up with the ninja to learn how to control her strange powers. But when a certain boy starts to stir up trouble, she's set on a path of discovery where she learns, for better or for worse, that not everything is as it seems. REWRITE with pretty drastic changes.
1. Lessons in Fire-Taming

_Hello, and welcome to the re-edit of Part II of Ash's saga! I hope you enjoy your stay as I rewrite this monster and make it much better to read. There are a lot of changes, which is why it is being re-posted, and hopefully they will all be for the better. If you're new to the series, the first story is technically An Assassin in Our Midst (which just underwent its own overhaul if you haven't visited it yet) but the AU of Daughter of Dragons is also a prequel. I know, confusing, but hopefully I can explain things alright._

_I'm still struggling with some of my others stories, and your further patience is greatly appreciated. I can't even describe how sorry I am it's taking so long, or how much it kills me to not touch them, but I've been slapped in the face by a bad case of writer's block :\ On that note, any and all ideas of improvement/creation are HIGHLY appreciated, so please don't hesitate to use the review box :) Maybe then I'll be able to crank these things out faster. _

_Anyway, thank you so much for reading and I really hope you enjoy this rewrite :)_

_- Fell_and_Fallen -_

* * *

I won't lie. I've always liked the feel of fire. Its warmth, its beauty. But at the same time it terrifies me. The way it can burn out of control so quickly, how it devours buildings and people in a matter of seconds. I stare down at my hands and watch as flames pop between my trembling fingers. I clench them tight against my palms and look up into the wise, dark eyes of Sensei Wu.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I ask. I blink and the memory of the last time I tried to use my fire blazes to the front of my mind. The flames nearly destroyed the ship we stand on now.

Sensei answers with a curt nod. "You have done enough mental exercises of control. Now it is time to put them to practice. I believe you are ready to face this challenge."

I swallow the growing lump in my throat and force myself to take a deep, calming breath. I turn back to Cole, who stands in front of me with his scythe at the ready.

"Are _you_ sure about this?" I ask.

"You'll be fine, Ash," he assures me. His voice is slightly muffled by his thick hood. "Besides, we have a pretty solid backup plan."

I look near the railing of the ship where Kai, Jay, and Zane stand with sloshing buckets of water. Jay gives me a friendly wave and a thumbs-up.

I take another deep breath. "Alright then," I sigh as I raise my arms. My hands tremble. "Here goes everything."

I concentrate on Cole's shape in front of me, narrowing my eyes and focusing all my energy into the space between my hands. Fire rages in my veins and I tug it back sharply, like putting a lion on a leash. I suck in an uneasy breath and carefully let out a sip of heat.

The flames burst out and fill the air quickly, dancing around my body and tasting the air hungrily. For now, they stay under my control. I open my eyes a little wider and look up at the black-clad ninja in front of me.

"Ready?" I ask in a strained voice. The flames jump, but I haul them back again.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Cole answers as he raises his scythe.

I take in a deep breath and very carefully press forward. The flames spiral toward Cole in a coil of blistering, swirling scarlet fire. Cole twirls his scythe and the flames disperse in a wide halo around him where they disappear in showers of smoke.

"So far, so good," Kai says appreciatively from the corner of my eye.

"Yes, very good," Sensei agrees. "Now carefully apply more energy."

"What?" I echo, my arms jarring as I let my concentration slip for just a second. "I thought-"

"You must learn to use your power to its fullest extent, Ash," Sensei says. "You must trust it."

"I-I can't," I shake my head. My hands tremble violently now. The flames dance around my fingers with more intensity and a drop of sweat slides down my neck, sizzling against my burning flesh.

"Trust your power, Ash," Sensei calls. "Embrace the fire within yourself and let it take form."

"No," I shake my head again. "I-I can't. I'll hurt someone."

My abdomen aches with tension and my arms waver. The fire starts to get wilder, and I struggle to bring it back under control. My hands are tense with exertion as more sweat beads up on my forehead. The flames rage and lick at the air with spitting crimson tongues. My arms are shaking and start to drop, and my vision clouds with grey dots, but before I lose control I force the flames to scatter and disappear in the sky around us.

My legs give out and I fall. My vision's a blur of dizziness, but I manage to stay awake and make out the shapes of the ninja surrounding me.

"Ash, are you alright?" Cole's voice sounds distant, like he's speaking to me underwater.

"I think so," I manage to answer as I sit up, tossing my head a little to try and dispel the dots in my vision. I wipe at my nose and frown when my hand comes away smeared with blood.

"You are overthinking your power, Ash," Sensei appears as a dark blob in the corner of my eye, and I try my best to focus on his blurred shape. "You're afraid of losing control, but you have to let your power control itself. You have to trust it."

"I can't," my hands clench as dark memories flood my head. My town collapsing to ashes, people screaming as their lives go up in flames, and myself standing in the center of it all. "I just… can't."

"Your fear is stopping you from unlocking your true power," Sensei stoops down to look me in the eye. "If you don't destroy your fear, you will never be strong enough to control it."

"But I-"

"Ash, seriously," Kai gives me a soft smile. "You were just a kid, and you're a lot stronger now than you were before. You don't have to be so afraid."

"Kai's right," Jay agrees. "The worst you can do is give us a bad tan."

I bite my lip. "I know you guys are trying to help, but I'm dangerous. If I'm not careful, I could kill one of you."

"Until you learn to trust your power, Ash, I'm afraid you will never be able to gain control of it," Sensei shakes his head. "You must come to terms with your past."

I let out a deep breath just as a blaring alarm goes off. The Bounty's speakers click to life and Nya's voice vibrates through the entire ship.

"Something's going on down below, guys," she reports, "and it looks like our little friend has something to do with it."

"Lloyd," Sensei shakes his head. I recognize the name and get to my feet, a little wobbly before I steady myself on Zane's outstretched arm.

"Don't worry, Sensei, we won't let him slip like last time," Kai says.

"Right, because last time we underestimated him he went on to awaken a banished race of snakes," I pause. "No wait, _I _wasn't there because you said he would be no problem to take care of without me."

"That was just after you blew yourself out during the bank robbery," Cole returns my look with his own. "We were letting you rest. Besides, how were we supposed to know he would run off and find a snake tomb? I mean, we knew he was a brat, but still-"

"I'm sure he's not all bad," I shake my head. "No kid ever is."

"But he's _Lloyd_ _Garmadon_," Jay presses. "You know, son of Lord Garmadon, Master of Evil? The kid's kind of genetically coded to be evil."

"Ash brings up a good point," Sensei says. "I do not believe that Lloyd is truly evil."

"But Sensei-"

"The four of you have grown sloppy and inattentive since I told you of the prophecy of the Green Ninja," Sensei narrows his eyes at them, and they all look away. "If it weren't for Ash's training, I'm sure you would all be engrossed in figuring out who it will be. Perhaps you can fill your minds with something else during this mission. A riddle."

"A riddle?" Jay echoes with a moan.

"Yes," Sensei gives him a pointed look. "What is the best way to defeat an enemy?"

"Training."

Sensei blinks at Kai. "No. Go out and complete this mission. Return to me with your answers and we'll see who is correct," he pauses. "And no, whoever answers the riddle correctly is not the most likely to be the Green Ninja."

They try to hide it, but I can't help a small smile as each ninja radiates a sense of disappointment. As Sensei said, they've each been riled up from the idea of becoming something more powerful than the rest, enough to make them all more than a little obsessed. They start to file off the ship, but when I follow, Sensei catches my sleeve.

"Ash, you are the warmest."

"What?" I ask, but Sensei just answers me with knowing eyes before he lets me go. Cole calls to me from the railing and I peel myself away to follow.

"What do you think of this riddle thing?" Cole asks as I approach. "Do you think it's a test for who will become the Green Ninja?"

"He said it wasn't," I answer as the other three leap off the side of the ship and into the empty air below.

"Of course he said it wouldn't be a test. That's the point of tests. Only the Green Ninja would know it's a test and be able to pass it," Cole says.

"Your logic astounds me."

He gives me a pointed look. "You don't think I'm the Green Ninja, do you?"

"I never said that," I shake my head. "Look, I think all of you are reading too much into this. Quite frankly, I don't really see what the big deal is. So what if you get fancy new powers? You'll still be the same goofy person, just with a more inflated ego."

"I just think the position should go to someone who's… qualified," he grins and I roll my eyes.

"You think you're qualified?"

"Who better than the leader of the pack, you know?" he winks. "Besides, I think I would look pretty great in green."

I cough out a laugh. "With your color palette? Please. There's a reason you stuck with black."

He shoves me playfully but lets out a laugh. "Alright, alright, you've made your point. But still. The Green Ninja could be any of us. There's nothing wrong with hope, right?"

"You heard Sensei. It can't distract you," I look down at the empty air below us and try to suppress the rolling in my stomach. "Now are we going or not? I hate to prolong the inevitable."

We climb onto the railing and Cole grabs my hand as I close my eyes and try not to think of the fall. I clear my mind and together we take the leap. Soon enough, we're on our way, speeding along behind the other ninja as we head toward whatever trouble Sensei's nephew has gotten into himself this time.

I think of the riddle and Sensei's words about me being the warmest. I'm sure it wasn't some play toward my power of fire, so he must have been talking about the answer. But what did it mean? I shove the thinking aside and try to focus on the mission. Like the ninja, I can't let this riddle stuff get to my head. Instead, I stare at the road ahead of us and wonder what we're getting ourselves into.


	2. My Enemy is My Friend

_*phew* After some formatting issues, this is finally up :) I've gotten myself onto a schedule, so you can expect updates on this every Tuesday and Thursday unless something crazy happens (which hopefully nothing will). _

_Thanks again for reading and your patience, and I really do appreciate any and all reviews, as they really keep me going when I'm struggling with writer's block/when I'm between chapters. Anyway, I hope you enjoy these new changes if you're a returning reader, and if you're new, I hope you look at some of my other pieces as well :)_

_- Fell_and_Fallen -_

* * *

People run in circles around us, screaming and tripping over each other in order to get away from the snakes slithering around the square. They're smashing windows and looting stores without a single cop in sight, and a chorus of loud screams erupts as a snake bumps into an already unstable pile of boxes and sets off a blaring car alarm.

"Well, it could be worse," Jay says as we look around at the screeching chaos. "I mean, they're not doing anything really evil, are they?"

"Anyone see Lloyd?" Kai asks, ignoring Jay.

"He's a kid, how hard can it be to find him?" Jay asks just as a huge group of terrified children swarms around us.

"You were saying?" Cole raises an eyebrow.

"That wouldn't to be him, would it?" I point to a kid sitting on a mountain of candy just down the road. He's wearing a black sweater with white skeletal ribs clumsily painted on the front, and a clump of white-blond hair pokes out beneath his hood. His attention is focused on eating a pack of gummies instead of the snakes that swarm around him.

"See? Not that hard," Jay laughs nervously.

"Hey kid, didn't anyone tell you it's wrong to steal?" Cole yells as we approach.

"You dare to challenge me, ninja?" the kid, Lloyd, stands up defiantly on his mountain. "Then taste my wrath!" He waves behind him with one arm and a group of Serpentine surrounds us.

"There's no need to call your snake friends, is there?" I say as a snake hisses at me. Kai gives it a glare. "I'm sure we could figure something out-"

"Come on, we can take these snakes easily," Cole unclips his scythe from his back. "Prepare to be schooled, kid. Ninja go!"

The boys spinjitsu away from me and into the flurry of snakes, who leap forward in response. I shake my head but raise my arms and carefully surround myself in a ring of flame. The fire tries to spring away from me, but I take a deep breath and hold it steady. With a shove I send it flying toward the Serpentine, scattering a dozen snakes that converged on the ninja.

There's a loud hiss behind me and I duck just in time to avoid a lead pipe to the back of my head. I turn in the same movement and drive a flaming fist into the snake's stomach, sending it soaring back with a scream and the smell of burnt leather. I grab the pipe it dropped, test the weight quickly in my hand, and then throw it at a snake that grapples with Jay. The pipe hits with a solid thud, knocking the snake away and letting Jay spring to his feet.

"Thanks, Ash," he smiles as he knocks the snake out with a swift kick.

"Anytime," I answer as he leaps back into the fight. I turn and get a glimpse of something disappearing into a side street, and when I look up I realize Lloyd's disappeared from the mound of candy. With a glance at the still-battling ninja, I start chasing after him.

Lloyd ducks around another corner just as I step foot into the alley, and I take one last look back at the fighting ninja before I start running. They'll be fine without me.

Lloyd stays a good distance ahead of me, wiggling through tight spaces much faster than I can. In just a couple of minutes, I'm struggling to keep sight of him, relying mostly on the slap of his rapid footsteps to keep me on his trail. My chest heaves as I pause near a pile of boxes to catch my breath and Lloyd's footsteps become even more distant. At this rate, he's going to outrun me. I glance at the rooftops above me and decide I have only one way of catching him.

I shove a couple of the boxes against a nearby wall and slowly pull myself up a window and onto the rooftop. My stomach churns a little at the thought of falling, but I swallow the feeling and look for Lloyd in the street below. I see him wriggling under a fence and I make my way over, being careful not to misstep and fall to my death on the cobblestones.

I trail him out of the alley and into the street, where he stops to take a breath. He looks behind him and, thinking he's lost me, sits on the ground and pulls a lollipop from his pocket. There's a fire exit just below me, and I carefully ease myself from the roof and drop onto the stairs, jarring myself a little against the rusting metal. I finish my descent and approach Lloyd, feeling much better to finally be on solid ground.

"You're pretty fast for a kid."

Lloyd jumps at the sound of my voice and scrambles to his feet to face me. He looks like he's about to run, so I stop a few feet away from him and raise my empty hands.

"It's okay," I say carefully. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk."

"Wh-who are you?" he demands. He tries to sound confident, but his voice trembles. "You're not a ninja!"

"I'm not. I'm their friend and yours too," I answer. "My name is Ash. What's yours?"

"I-I'm Lloyd Garmadon, Master of all Evil," he introduces himself. "And I don't need friends!"

"Everyone needs friends, even the 'Master of all Evil'," I can't help the smile that tugs at my lips. Something about this kid reminds me of myself, though I can't place it. "You don't happen to be related to Lord Garmadon, the man who tried to fill the world with evil a while back?"

"He's my dad," Lloyd nods, "and someday, I'm going to be just like him!"

"I see," I nod. "So is this a part of your evil plan? Use the Serpentine to terrorize people out of their candy?"

"This is just the first step," he grins. "Just wait until you see the other stuff I have planned!"

"I'm sure it's terrifying," I nod as I approach him. He takes a weary step back as I stoop down to his eye level, but doesn't run. "But you know, you can get twenty times the amount of candy if you ask for it? If you pay, you can get however much candy you want and no one, not even the ninja have the right to take it from you."

"But I don't have any money," he shakes his head. "And asking for things isn't evil, it's stupid."

I reach into my back pocket and pull out my wallet. "Then let's make a deal. Evil people love making deals. Go back and pay for what you stole and you can have whatever's left to buy anything else you want. If it makes you feel more evil, you can tell everyone you stole it from me."

He stares at leather wallet from my outstretched hand, narrowing his eyes like he expects me to tug it back. "You're serious?" He asks.

"Absolutely," I say. "I'm a good guy, remember? We don't lie."

Lloyd takes the wallet carefully and opens it, shuffling through what little bills I have. He pulls something unfamiliar out, and I realize it's a tea packet. He stares at it with confusion as I reach and out take it with a sigh.

"Sensei must have slipped this in my pocket again," I say mostly to myself. "He's always trying to get me to drink tea, but I just can't stand it."

I look back up at Lloyd. "Sensei Wu's your uncle, isn't he?" I ask and he nods. "He told me. Why don't you ever visit him?"

"I was at Darkly's for a long time, and after I ran- was kicked out for being too evil I haven't had time, you know with the whole plan to take over the world," he shrugs, but there's a weight of sadness in his voice.

"Well I'm sure he'd love to see you again," I say. "Why don't you come with me and we'll go say hello for a little bit?"

"But I'm on a quest of evil with the Serpentine-"

"I'm sorry to tell you, Lloyd, but I think the Serpentine have their own agenda," I point over his shoulder to where the snakes are slithering off into the horizon without even a glance back.

"Hey!" Lloyd takes a few steps toward them, but I stop him with a hand.

"Come on, Lloyd, as cool as the Serpentine might be they're no substitute for your real family," I say. "You can find another way to impress your dad."

"But I'm supposed to be evil," Lloyd shakes his head.

"Sometimes you become something your parents don't expect," I say. "Trust me, I know." I blink and memories of my father rush back, of his kind smile, the warm gaze he gave me the day he disappeared. I shake the thoughts aside and focus on Lloyd, who seems to have noticed my sobering mood.

"Ash, there you are!"

Lloyd and I look up to where the ninja are emerging from the village. They're battered, ruffled, but for the most part unhurt from their wild battle against the snakes.

"Looks like you caught the little miscreant," Jay says as they approach. He steps threateningly toward Lloyd. "What do you say we teach him a bit of a lesson?"

"He's coming with us," I get to my feet and step protectively in front of Lloyd. "To see his uncle."

"But what about all the damage he's done to the village?" Kai asks.

"I gave him some money that should pay for most of the candy he stole," I gesture to the wallet in Lloyd's hands. "The rest was the Serpentine."

The ninja still look like they want to argue and I let out a sigh.

"Come on, guys, a visit can't hurt anyone."

"But what about the Serpentine? They're still on the loose!" Jay waves a hand at the fleeing snakes.

"We can take care of that later," I say. "For now, we're taking him with us."

With only a few more grumbles, we start the walk back to where the ship is supposed to pick us up. Lloyd sticks close to me, wearily eyeing the ninja as we plod along. I give him a reassuring smile.

"You'll be alright, kiddo, don't worry. These guys may look tough and scary, but they're actually harmless."

"I'm not scared," Lloyd shakes his head. "I'm not scared of anything."

"I'm sure you're not," I nod.

Cole falls into step beside me, glancing back at the kid as he talks into my ear. "No offense, Ash, but why are you being nice to him? He just terrorized an entire village for candy."

"He's a kid who's a little off track," I answer in a whisper. "Besides, there's something about him that feels, I don't know, familiar. I wasn't much different than him after I lost my father."

"Well your dad isn't Lord Garmadon."

I hit him slightly with my arm. "Just because someone is a little different than you doesn't mean you don't have to be nice." I pause a little. "Maybe that's what Sensei was trying to get at with the riddle."

"What do you mean?"

"An enemy. Just because you don't understand them, doesn't mean you should automatically hate them," I answer as my mind whirrs a little. "The best way to defeat an enemy is to make them your friend."

"You're sure about that?" Cole asks, and I nod.

"Lloyd's a good kid, even if he doesn't realize it," I glance back at the tiny, shuffling would-be overlord. "A visit with his uncle could be exactly what he needs."

"I hope you're right about this, Ash," Cole says.

"Of course I'm right," I shove him a little. "He's as much Sensei's nephew as he is Garmadon's son. It's worth giving him a chance."

"Alright, but he's your responsibility, okay?" he grumbles. "We can't have that kid messing around with anything."

"What, are you just sour that I figured out the riddle before you did?" I grin. "You know, maybe I could be the Green Ninja-"

"You said so yourself that we shouldn't be so caught up in that," Cole says hurriedly. "I mean, it could be anyone of us, why focus so much on it being you?"

I chuckle a little. "I thought so," I smile as a shadow looms overhead and the Bounty starts its descent. Lloyd huddles behind me and I give him a reassuring smile as the ship opens and we enter.


	3. Reflections in the Mirror

_Alright, so after a little consideration I realized how screwed up my timeline actually is since Lloyd is supposed to be "rescued" from the whole tree house mess, but I had it happen sooner, so... Anyway, we'll pretend that all happened already if you're confused *facepalms* I feel like an idiot. Despite some glaring timing issues, I hope you enjoy this new chapter :) From here on out, things are really going to start changing so buckle up and enjoy the ride!_

_- Fell_and_Fallen -_

_Oh, and I am also the proud composer of the little lullaby in this chapter. Everything else belongs to their original owners. _

_Thank you for reading :)_

* * *

"How is he?" I ask Sensei as he exits the guest room. I can hear the muffled sounds of the ninja training above my head, but all my attention is fixed on the door in front of me.

"He's doing well," Sensei nods. "I told him the story of how my brother became the way he is, and he took it nicely."

"What do you mean?" I ask. "I don't mean any offense, but from what I've heard Lord Garmadon is just a naturally evil guy."

"He wasn't always that way," Sensei shakes his head. His voice is sobering, and I almost regret asking. "He was bitten by a snake- a very powerful one known as the Great Devourer. Its venom corrupted Garmadon's soul and turned him into the man he is today."

"Really?"

Sensei nods. "That is why I am so troubled by the snakes' awakening." He lets out a sigh. "For now all we can do is wait. If you'd like to speak with Lloyd you may, though it's almost time for all of us to go to bed."

"I won't take long," I say as he nods and retreats to his room. I pause a second to collect my thoughts before I take a deep breath, knock, and enter Lloyd's room.

Lloyd looks up as I enter, his pale blonde hair nearly white in the lantern light. He's snuggled up in thick blankets and at least a dozen pillows. With all his coverings, he seems much smaller than he actually is.

"Hey, kiddo," I greet him as the door clicks shut behind me. "How are you?"

"Good," he answers with a wide yawn. "I'm tired."

"You should be," I smile and take a seat at the edge of his bed. "You've had a long day of terrorizing people." I pause for a second. "Sensei told you about your father?"

"Yeah," Lloyd picks at the corner of his blanket and doesn't meet my eyes. "It's a little hard to believe that my dad was a good guy once."

"I'm sure he still is deep down."

"But how am I supposed to be lord of evil if my dad's good?" he shakes his head. "It wouldn't feel right."

"I know what it's like to want to be like your dad," I say. I reach into the collar of my shirt and tug out the necklace that rattles against my sternum. I clutch the flat golden sun between my fingers and hold it up to the light, entranced for a second by the colors that fly across its surface. "This used to be his." I laugh softly as I let it fall back to my chest. "I wanted it so bad as a kid. I used to put it on and pretend I was just like him."

I shake my head a little. "I always wanted to be as strong and fast and perfect as my dad was. He was absolutely everything a kid could ask for, and I dreamed of the day I would be half the person he was. After he and I got separated I felt like it was the end of the world."

"Did your dad leave you too?"

There's a lot of hurt in Lloyd's voice, and it takes me a second to answer. "You could say that." A humorless smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. "Except most of it was my fault."

"How?"

"I'm, um, kind of different than everyone else," I start to explain, thinking how best to describe myself. I raise my hand and let a few flames curl between my fingers. Lloyd stares, wide-eyed, as I stifle them and put my hand back in my lap. "And one day my difference ended up hurting a lot of people. My dad and I were separated, and I haven't seen him since."

I look down at my hands, which seem to glow in the pops of light from the lantern. "Like you, I kind of ran away from everything. I was afraid and alone, and all I could think of was becoming what my dad wanted me to be. So I buried my secret and pretended it never happened. I spent every waking moment searching for him and I eventually ended up making a promise with the wrong kind of people. I was so desperate to find my father I agreed to help this guy, Hale, destroy the ninja."

"But you didn't," Lloyd says.

"I almost did," I shake my head. "But while I was here, I realized that even though I missed my father an awful lot, I still had a life to live. One day I was alone and the next I realized I was surrounded by the greatest friends I've ever had. Your uncle taught me that I didn't need to be afraid of losing my dad, that in the end you're the one who decides who you're going to be."

I look up into Lloyd's dark eyes. "My father is alive, and I know I'll find him one day. But in the meantime, I'm learning to control my power and use it in a way I could never have imagined just a few months ago. You and I are the same, kiddo. I think you need to realize, too, that your life doesn't revolve around your dad. That you can become something more."

"I never really thought of it like that," Lloyd says in a soft voice. He bites his lip a little. "You know, you're really nice to me, Ash. Most people hardly ever talk to me."

"Well you and I have a lot in common, kiddo," I smile. "Both of us want to be like our dads, and both of us are a little misunderstood. I mean, I lived in the middle of the woods for four years."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," I say as I start to get up. "Now you should get some sleep or else you won't have enough energy to eat breakfast. It's Zane's breakfast day, and I'll be the first to warn you that you want to fill up before dinner."

"Why?" he asks with another drowsy yawn.

"Because tomorrow's Cole's dinner day, and as much as I'm going to try and keep it edible, I won't make any promises," I say. I ruffle Lloyd's hair and give him a last smile before I start to leave.

"Ash, wait."

I turn back around. "Yes?"

"C-Can you tell me a story, or something before bed?" he asks. "It's the only way I can sleep in a different place."

"Sure," I make my way back to the bed. "I don't know any good stories, but I do know a lullaby my dad used to sing me when I was scared."

"I-I'm not scared," Lloyd shakes his head. "I'm just…"

"You don't have to lie to me, kiddo," I smile as I sit back on the bed. "Everyone gets scared. I'm sure even your dad gets scared."

He shakes his head again. "Garmadons are never scared of anything. We face danger and laugh." He lets out a theatrical laugh. I give him a pointed look.

"You want me to help you or not?"

He sobers and lies back in bed. "Yes, please."

"I thought so," I grin as I retake my seat. "But if I sing it for you, you have to promise not to tell the others I did, okay?"

"Why?"

"Because it's personal and I hate the attention," I narrow my eyes at him. "So you have to promise you won't tell anyone, okay? If there's anyone on this ship you should be terrified of, it's me. Got that?"

Lloyd laughs a little. "Alright," he agrees before he lies back comfortably on his pillows.

"Okay then," I settle myself down. "Here goes."

I take a deep breath and start.

"_The Sun falls cold, The Moon grows frost_

_The Light fades from the sky_

_The Wind breathes a prayer for the lost summer air_

_But now the Cold reigns high_

_On pale white wings the Snowbird flies_

_Proclaiming its praise to the Ice_

_White rain falls to the Earth from above_

_To dust its soft white wings_

_So close your eyes and listen to_

_That Snowbird's frozen song_

_Hear that call as the seasons change_

_And know I'm always here."_

I look down at Lloyd, who's already fast asleep and snoring softly in his pillows. A smile warms my face as I stare down at his sleeping shape. It's hard to believe he's the son of someone so terrible, and I wonder what Lord Garmadon was like before he turned. I shake the thoughts aside and pull Lloyd's blankets closer to his chin, watching him for just a second longer before I get up and leave the room.

As I make my way across the ship toward my own room, I run into Cole.

"Oh, hey Ash," he greets me a little awkwardly. "You completely missed training."

"I know," I say. "I was just talking to Lloyd."

"About what?"

"Just making sure he was okay," I answer. "This whole business with his dad is a lot for a kid like him to take in." I shake my head. "I don't know, whenever I look at him it's like I'm looking in a mirror to the past, when I was confused and lonely."

"What you went through was tough, but you have us now and we're always here for you if you need us." He smiles.

"And that's why I'm happy," I smile back. "I mean, minus the whole me-trying-to-kill-you thing."

Cole laughs. "By the way, Ash, what was that song about?" he asks. "No offense, but I don't see why you would know a song about ice."

I cringe. "You heard?"

"Lloyd's room is right under our feet, and the ship isn't soundproof," he holds back another laugh. "We all heard you."

My face flushes and I bite my lip. "I can't believe it."

"Hey, no one here is judging you, Ash," he smiles. "It wasn't half bad. I mean, you're looking at the guy who can't sing to save his life."

I laugh. "Alright, alright," I shake my head. "Just as long as we never talk about any of this ever again, you hear?"

He narrows his eyes. "Only if you tell me about the song."

I punch him in the arm hard enough to make him flinch. "You're lucky I like you," I shake my head. "When I was a kid, I was almost constantly on fire. It was even worse when I was a baby. My dad said my mom used to sing the song to help me cool down for the night, to forget the warmth and hopefully not set our house on fire in my sleep. After she died, he kept the tradition going." I close my eyes a little and revel in the old memories. "Whenever he sang it to me, I could remember what it was like to be cold. But it also reminded me that no matter where I go, he'll always be with me. Even if I'm alone."

I shake my head again. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean for that to sound so depressing."

"No, I understand," Cole's face turns serious. "We'll find him, Ash. No matter what Hale said. You'll see your dad again."

I smile softly up at him. "I know."

"So… are we still on for cooking dinner tomorrow?" he asks, lighting up again. "I have this amazing pork and avocado soup recipe I've been wanting to try, but I'll need some help perfecting it."

I struggle to keep a pleasant smile. "Of course we are, Cole. I'm sure dinner's going to be… delicious."


	4. Shadow of Doubt

"Ash, pass me the basil, will you?"

I open the spice cabinet where a full bottle of basil sits, but I slip it into the sleeve of my sweater before Cole catches sight of it.

"Looks like we're out of basil," I lie pleasantly. "But I think…" I scan the spice cabinet. "Thyme will make a good substitute."

"Are you sure?" he gives me a dubious look. The pot of soup in front of him bubbles murkily, and I fight the urge to take matters into my own hands.

"Positive," I throw the bottle over to him and he catches it easily. He gives me another look, but with a little more prodding he dispenses the herb into the soup and fills the air with a mouthwatering smell.

"We need to go get groceries soon," he says as I take in a deep breath. "I mean, first no avocados, then no tomato juice, and now no basil?"

"Then I guess it's really good luck that we have all the ingredients to make a pork soup, huh?" I smile as I lean against the counter. With Cole's vision blocked, I take the opportunity to shove an avocado back into the crevice it rolled out of.

"I guess so," he sighs a little and slumps his shoulders.

"Come on, Cole, I'm sure it's delicious," I say as I grab a spoon and take a bite of the soup. Warmth, spices, and flavor fills my mouth, and a smile tugs on the corners of my lips. I take a step back. "Definitely delicious."

Cole grabs another spoon. "It can't be better than-" he cuts off, his face wiping clean as he lowers the spoon from his mouth.

"What did I tell you?" I laugh. "Infinitely better than…" I give him a look. "What was your plan?"

"Alright, alright," he laughs and shakes his head. He gets a thoughtful look on his face as he locks eyes with me. "Ash, you have a little bit of soup left on your lip."

"What? Where?" I ask as I reach to wipe my mouth.

"Right here," he tips my chin up toward him and leans into me just as the door bangs open.

"Is dinner ready yet?"

Cole and I spring apart as Jay, Kai, and Zane saunter into the room, Lloyd shuffling in just behind them.

"Just about," I answer as I reach down into the cabinets below the cook top to grab bowls and to hide my reddening face. "Only a few more seconds."

With my dignity scraped off the floor, I get the bowls on the table and Cole follows me, filling each one with a healthy ladleful of soup. The others sit as Cole goes to set down the pot, and as soon as his back is turned Kai looks to me.

"Is it safe?" he mouths so Cole won't hear.

I give him a nod just as Cole turns back around.

"So what do you guys think?" Cole asks, taking a seat next to me as the others tentatively try the food.

"This is delicious!" Kai grins as he shoves another spoonful into his mouth.

"It is," Zane agrees. "The blend of spices and vegetables is absolutely perfect." He gives me an approving look out of the corner of his eye as I dig into my own bowl.

"Thanks guys. I planned on making something else, but all the ingredients I needed were gone," Cole sighs.

"That's weird," Jay muses. "Nya went to the store and restocked everything yesterday-"

I kick Jay hard under the table, and he bites down a yell. "Speaking of Nya," I quickly change the subject. "Where is she?"

"I don't really know," Kai shrugs. "I haven't seen Sensei Wu around since training either."

"I saw them talking about something on the computer," Lloyd pipes in. Most of his bowl already empty. "It looked important, but they told me to leave before I could see anything."

I can't help the lurch my stomach makes as I take another sip of broth. Suddenly, I can't taste it anymore. "Do you think they found something about my dad?" I ask in the calmest voice I can manage. "I know they were trying again."

"If they did, it must be a big deal if he and Nya were talking it up for so long," Kai says.

"Indeed it is a big deal."

We look up as Sensei and Nya walk into the room. Sensei is as unreadable as ever, but Nya has a look on her face that's a mixture of excitement and worry. My stomach rolls.

"What is it, Sensei?" Cole asks as the atmosphere grows serious. "Is something wrong?"

"It's too soon to say for sure whether this is good or bad," Sensei answers. "But it does concern me."

"Is it about my dad?" I ask as my heart flies into my throat.

Sensei sits at the table and pulls a bowl of soup closer to him. He lifts the spoon, sniffs it, glances a second at Cole, then takes a sip. "I promised I'd help you learn more about your abilities, and I also said that I've felt your power before," Sensei begins as he eats another spoonful. "It wasn't until today that I realized exactly what I was feeling."

"What do you mean?"

"Long ago, Ninjago was ruled by monarchs gifted with special abilities. They used their powers to protect Ninjago and keep the peace, but they were eclipsed by modern governments and systems. The last true ruler, his name was Whim I believe, gave up his throne and chose to guide Ninjago from the shadows. The others that came after him did the same, keeping Ninjago safe and secure without seats of power," Sensei Wu explains.

"Wow," Jay whistles.

"So what happened to them?" Zane asks.

"According to legend, the bloodline gradually died and the past rulers of Ninjago no longer exist, but through further study Nya and I have discovered that the bloodline still runs strongly, and the monarchs still survive."

"What does this have to do with me?" I ask. My hands tremble, and I clench my fingers to keep them still.

"Sensei and I dug really deep into the legends and old histories, and we traced the rulers to an ancient forest where stories say they kept their court," Nya explains from where she sits next to Jay. "There we found evidence that a ruler's been living there for years now, or _was_, at least. Local legends say that the ruler living there disappeared years ago along with his wife and child, and they haven't been seen since."

"Maybe they decided to go on an extended vacation?" Jay laughs nervously. "I mean, just because a family disappears doesn't mean that some scary mumbo-jumbo's going on."

"But that's the thing," Nya says. "Each monarch is born with elemental powers like yours, and these powers aren't some cheap magic tricks. They're intense, powerful, and incredibly hard to control. There are even stories of young monarchs destroying forests, cliffs, and entire towns with their powers." She looks at me. "Sound familiar?"

"So what you're saying is my dad and I are some ancient rulers of Ninjago, and for some reason he pulled me and my mom from our foresty home?" I ask. "And he just forgot to mention it?"

"Well…" Nya looks at Sensei Wu. "Not… exactly."

Sensei puts down the cup of tea he had just poured for himself. "You're one of the old rulers of Ninjago, Ash, there's little doubt about that. But there is no evidence that your father is," Sensei says slowly. "I… I knew the last king of Ninjago. He travelled with me and Kai's father for many years before he settled with his wife to have a child. If something happened, he would have come to me, or least asked for help. But he hasn't. And he certainly would have taught his child using his own elemental power, which you've never given any indication your father has."

"So then I can't be," I shake my head. "If my dad didn't have powers, then it's impossible for me to be… whatever I am. Not unless-" The sentence dies in my throat.

"Unless what?" Jay asks.

"Unless her father isn't her father," Zane says.

"That's not possible," I clench my hands even more tightly.

"Ash, based on our research and your own descriptions of your father, this Desmond Vizier is not the ruler of Ninjago or my friend."

"Then there must be some mistake," I snap with more force than I mean to. "Maybe- maybe your friend had another kid. Maybe my mom had powers- she died soon after I was born, so I never knew her."

"According to the stories, Ash, the most recent monarch was and is a man," Nya says carefully, "and all monarchs are born as an only child- there's no way the bloodline spread out."

"So what?" I demand, choking back the sudden lump in my throat. "My dad kidnapped me? For what reason? He never hurt me, he helped me with my powers, he was everything a kid could ask for in a father."

"Ash, I understand that this is a lot to take in now, and it's going to take time to come to terms with what we've just told you," Sensei says softly.

"And we don't have the complete story," Nya says. "I'm sure there's some logical reason-"

"I need some time to think right now," I say as I stand up. "I'll see you guys in the morning."

Without another word I slip out of the silent room and onto the deck. My entire body is trembling as I hardly hold back the emotions that threaten to explode from my chest. I force one foot in front of another in a beeline back to my room, but I can't stop thinking about my father, of all the memories of training and playing together back in the village- his dark eyes layered with the love I know he felt for me. That couldn't be a lie… it just… couldn't.

I'm reaching out to open the door to my room when I hear a clamor of footsteps behind me. I turn to see Cole standing in the shadow of the hallway, the dim light casting shadows in his face.

"For a ninja, you make a lot of noise when you walk," I try to force a smile, but can't.

"Ash, we should talk."

"I know what you're going to say, and I'm fine," I turn to hide my face. "I need to vent. Alone, if you don't mind."

"Is that what you did in the forest?" he asks before I can escape. "When you were alone?" I can't bring myself to face him. "Ash, I'm here for you- we all are. You don't have to run away."

"I'm told you I'm fine," I snap as I start to turn the knob. "I just need to be alone and-"

"Please, Ash, Let me help-" Cole touches my arm and a burst of fire explodes from my body. He recoils as I tug back the heat and bury it, barely swallowing the horrible warmth before it bursts out again.

"I-I'm sorry," I struggle to calm my shaking hands as I stagger away from him. "I didn't mean to-"

"No, that was me," he shakes his head as he recovers. The cuff of his shirt is smoldering and fills my nose with the acrid smell of fire. "Don't apologize."

I swallow the bitterness in my throat and pull my arms against me. My hands are as hot as stovetop, searing through my cotton sweater. "You should go," I say in a soft voice as my stomach roils with nausea. "I'm unstable like this. I'll hurt you."

"Ash, just listen to me for a second," his dark eyes bore into mine, and at this point I'm too exhausted to fight. "I know what they said was harsh, but Sensei's been wrong before, and it's like Nya said: we don't have the full story yet. We don't know your dad's reasoning, so I wouldn't give up on him so soon."

I force a nod. "You're right," I cough to clear my voice. "He could've saved me from what happened to my real parents." The word burns like acid on my tongue.

"Exactly," Cole nods. He gives me a reassuring smile. "And once we find him, you can ask him yourself."

"Right," I try to return the smile, but it comes out as more of a grimace. There's a small pounding of footsteps overhead, and I bite back a sigh of relief. "Looks like the others are getting ready for training. You should too."

He glances up, and I can feel his hesitation. He looks back to me. "You sure you're going to be alright?"

"Cole, I've been managing my emotions since I was a toddler. I'll be fine," I try the smile again, and it seems to work this time as Cole lets out a submissive breath.

"Alright. We're here if you need anything, okay? Anything at all."

I give him another reassuring nod before he finally leaves to join the others. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and turn to finally open the door and enter my room.

As I slip in, I notice a dark shape on my pillow. It's a letter- small, white, and flat with my name scrolled out in spidery writing on its surface. My hand trembles as I slowly pick it up and open it. More familiar writing greets me, and I realize with a kick of my heart that it's my father's. My heart thuds even harder as my eyes scan the page.

_If what I'm told is true, then you've been met with a surprise today, my darling Iris. _

My old name unearths a lot of mixed memories and emotions of happier days tainted now by swirling doubts. I shake them aside and continue to read.

_I am sorry I wasn't there to tell you the truth. There is much I never had the chance to tell you, but perhaps we may soon have that chance. I am sure you remember the place we used to train together. Meet me there tonight, and perhaps I may help clear some of the confusion that plagues you._

_Stay strong, Iris, and I promise you will soon see the truth. _

_-Your true father, Desmond -_

The letter hits the floor the same time my knees do. My father knows what's happened. How, I don't know. Cole's words come back to me, and I wonder if he was right. Maybe my father has a good reason for… whatever all this is. Maybe he's just been looking after me all these years.

But something doesn't feel right. I can't explain it, but something in the pit of my stomach roils. When we were first separated from each other, I always dreamt of the day I would see my dad again. I was always so excited at the idea of seeing his face just one more time, of seeing his loving smile, but all I feel right now is… emptiness.

There's a loud knock on the door and I almost scream. I force myself to keep calm as I stuff the letter into my pocket and go to answer it.

The door creaks open as soon as I've sort of composed myself. I look down to see Lloyd's small shape huddle in the doorway.

"Oh, hey kiddo," I greet him in a broken voice. I clear my throat and try again. "What's going on?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," he says. "Cole said you were, but I wanted to make sure."

"Yeah, um, I'm fine, kiddo," I lie with a nod. "Thanks for asking." I start to push him out the door a little. "It's gotten really late. Isn't it time for you to go to bed?"

"It's not that late," he says as he turns back to me. "The ninja are still training."

"Right," I mutter mostly to myself. I'd forgotten about them. It's going to be difficult sneaking past them if I want to go to the forest undisturbed. At least Nya landed the ship for a while. It would've been much more difficult if I had to find a parachute or something else to get down to solid earth.

"Ash, are you sure you're okay?" Lloyd's voice pulls me out of my thoughts. I blink and realize I've been staring at the floor.

"Yeah, fine, I just have to go clear my head," I say. "You go to bed. I'm going to take a little walk."

"Do you want me to come with you?" he asks. "It's kind of dark outside-"

"There's nothing in those woods that can hurt me," I shake my head, "and I'll be back soon. Just go to bed, alright?"

His dubious expression doesn't change, but he eventually shuffles off toward his room. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and head the opposite way down the hall, out toward whatever awaits me in the forest.

The pit in my stomach grows bigger.


	5. Sins of the Father

_*Phew* Now we're really getting into some heavy stuff. From here on out, things are really going to deviate from the original, so some updates might be a little skewed depending on how fast I can pump them out. Anyway, your support is greatly greatly greatly appreciated. Thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers, and thank you for the lovely messages :) But most of all thank you for taking the time to read. _

_- Fell_and_Fallen -_

* * *

"Dad?" I call out into the surrounding darkness. Even with my radiating heat the cold is biting, and my hands light up with a puff of fire to keep warm. "Are you there?"

The forest is silent as I stare up at the towering oaks that surround the clearing. I wonder for a second if I'm in the wrong spot, but this is definitely the place where my dad and I used to train. So where is he?

Something snaps in the forest behind me, and I nearly jump out of my skin. I turn around and raise a glowing hand to the darkness, staring into the tall, overgrown, and eerily empty thorn bushes. I start to lower my hand when something lurches in the corner of my eye. I turn toward it again, but it disappears.

"Who's there?" I call into the darkness as my flames curl around my arms. They crackle and tug at my willpower, feeding off the anxiety that churns my stomach, but I keep them under control.

A dark arrow answers me, flying out from the bushes and straight toward my face. I duck and it hisses over my head, stirring my hair as it thuds into a tree behind me. I straighten up just as another arrow flies, but this time I stand my guard. I raise my arm and obliterate the black wood in flame, scattering a shower of ashes onto the dark ground. I push the fire away from my body and illuminate the entire clearing in a bright orange glow.

"Show yourself!" I yell into the dark woods. The flames spark and scatter, and I almost lose my grip on them. I tighten my fingers against my palms and they settle.

"Is that really the way to greet an old friend?"

My stomach lurches as a dark shape appears from behind a shadowy tree. It grasps a long shape in its hand, and as it steps into my light I realize it's a tall, black longbow.

"That's impossible," I take a trembling step back as Hale approaches, his blond hair shining gold in my firelight. The last time I saw him, he was just a burning shape disappearing over the side of the Bounty. Even if he somehow managed to survive that, he should be a charred husk of himself, huddled in a hospital somewhere. But he looks… healthy. "You should be dead."

"Don't worry, I'm not a ghost," he assures me with a soft smile. "I just happen to have a few friends in high places. Granted it took me a long time to heal, but as you can see I'm good as new."

"What are you doing here?" I demand as I raise my palm toward him. A fresh coil of fire surrounds my hands as I stare him down.

"I'm here to help as always, Ash," he says. His eyes watch the flames that crackle between my fingers. "I see you're finally making use of your powers. It was hard watching you waste so much potential." He laughs humorlessly. "I'm glad I forced you into the contract to kill those pesky ninja. I mean, without me you'd still be out here, wouldn't you?"

"You did nothing," I growl as the flames rise with my emotions. "You tortured my father and took control of my body. You're just a spineless worm who can't do his own dirty work. You deserve to be crushed underfoot."

"I know you're still angry with me, and with all you've been through I'm not surprised," he shakes his head. "I mean first the annihilation of our hometown, then your father's disappearance-"

"You know nothing about me," I snap.

"Actually I think I know most everything. Probably even more than you do," Hale's eyes shift to something over my shoulder. "Isn't that right, Desmond?"

My arms drop to my sides and the clearing goes dark. My eyes adjust to the dim moonlight as I slowly turn to something I haven't seen in four years.

"Dad?" I can hardly believe my eyes, but there he is- my father sitting like a wise owl in a tree high above us. His dark hair is peppered with silver now, same with his close shaven beard, but he is exactly the way I remember him. Everything around me disappears as I stare up into this familiar eyes, still shining the same way they did when I was a kid. My chest fills with a thousand different emotions and it's all I can do not to burst into tears.

"It's been much too long, Iris," he smiles down at me. "You've grown a lot since the last I saw you."

"I've grown stronger too," I say as I quickly compose myself. I glance back at Hale, who stands with his bow held loosely in his hand. "But what are you doing with him?"

"Don't you know? He's my apprentice," my father answers calmly, and Hale smirks slightly. "He and I have been training together for quite some time now."

I shake my head. "Dad, I don't know what he's told you, but Hale is evil. He blackmailed me into killing the ninja that protect Ninjago, and when I wouldn't go through with it he used his mind-control powers to try and force me to do the job."

"Of course he did, Iris," my father laughs. "He was doing what I asked of him."

The world comes to a screeching halt. "What?"

"Really, Iris, I thought you would be smarter than this," my father shakes his head disapprovingly. "I told Hale to find you and give you the assignment to kill the ninja. I knew you could never bring yourself to hurt another person, so when you finally used your abilities to save your friends, you won the ninja's trust and became a student of Sensei Wu. Don't you see, Iris? All I wanted was for Sensei Wu to train you to harness your powers."

I struggle to find my voice. "Wha- but why?"

"Why do you think?" my father sneers, any and every trace of compassion completely drained from his face. "I couldn't train you myself- your powers were too volatile even for me. Besides your father, Wu was the only one capable of shaping your power. I knew I had to get him to teach you control, but before I could do anything more rational you came into my room screaming. You'd been snooping around my old journals and found out about your birth parents, and you wanted to 'know the truth'. You forced me to act. I wiped your memory of that day, but the resulting confusion threw you over the edge and destroyed the village." He shakes his head. "After that, I knew I had to find a better path."

"So everything Sensei told me," I force out through a wall of pent-up tears, "is true? My real parents, my powers?"

"More or less," he shrugs.

"So you kidnapped me," I look up into those dark eyes that have turned shallow and cold. "For what?"

"For my wife," he clenches his hands. "We were just advisors, but your wretched parents drove her into the ground. She was up at all hours of the night on 'special missions' and would come home crippled with exhaustion and pain from no source. All I could do was watch as she died slowly and in brutal agony while your parents did nothing to help. Your parents killed my wife, so I killed them. And soon I will destroy the only thing your parents ever loved- Ninjago."

Bile forces its way into my throat. "You-you _killed_ them?" I clench my hands and struggle to imagine how my real parents must have felt, watching someone they trusted obliterate everything they knew. I have a hunch it feels a lot like what I'm feeling now.

I glare up at my father, no, _Desmond_. "Then why didn't you kill me too? Why did you take me?"

"Because you were a child," he answers. "You had no alliance, and I knew I could sculpt you into something great. A weapon that would bring all of Ninjago to its knees."

"A weapon? Is that all I am to you?" my hand sparks with furious fire. "A tool for revenge?" I shake my head and my hair crackles with flame. "Everything you said to me- about my mother, my childhood, your life- everything was a lie? Just to get me on your side?"

"You're making me sound like the villain, Iris," he says in a mockingly soft voice. "I saved you. If it weren't for me, your parents would have killed you the same way they killed my Diana!"

"Enough!" I scream, and a wide circle of flames bursts away from me. "You're a monster! What you've done is-is unforgivable! No matter how much you hated my parents, that doesn't justify murder!"

"Calm yourself, Iris," Desmond's eyes grow cold. "I expected you to be more grateful. For what I've done, for what I am preparing to do. Your parents were parasites and they deserve to watch their world burn."

"I won't!" I shout. "Just like I wouldn't kill the ninja, I will never turn against Ninjago!"

"They are not your friends," his gaze glowers into mine. "Wu and his band of amateurs are nothing but tools. They see you only for your potential, for what they can use you for. They do not love you the way I do."

"This is love?" I shake my head. "Murdering my parents, leaving me alone for years, almost _killing _me-"

"You do not understand, Iris, you are still not ready to face the destiny laid out before you," he growls. "You are guided by petty emotions and hastened loyalties. You must overcome these if you are ever to join my cause."

"My _petty emotions_ are what kept me going when you left me, what kept me from staying my blade when I was supposed to kill the ninja," I say in a voice quieted by bottled anger. "My _petty emotions_ mean more to me than your words ever will."

"So that is your decision? You would choose the monsters of your parents over the man who raised you, defended you, showed you everything you know?"

"I don't know my parents thanks to you," I growl. "So I choose my own path. I choose to stand by my friends and protect Ninjago from anyone who wants to harm it." My fire rages to life in my hands, burning and throwing the clearing into a crimson shadow. "I will stand against you so long as you threaten my home and my friends."

Desmond laughs like I've just told him the funniest joke in the world. "So self-righteous," he coughs. "It's sickening. You are still a child, my darling Iris. I know you'll see my side soon. Go. Return to your friends and think about what I've said. Think about what I've given you when you decide which way you sway."

He pauses and a chilling smile touches his face. "But, of course, not without a parting gift." Something malicious flashes in his eyes. "Hale, you know what to do."

I hear the faint sound of tense wood, and I turn around just as Hale lets an arrow loose. The bladed tip slices through the fabric of my shirt and rips open my side in a scatter of brilliant scarlet blood. I scream as my stomach explodes with searing agony and I collapse onto the cold grass.

"Return to your friends and show them what I am willing to do to get my way," Desmond hisses from above as I shove my hands against the wound, ignoring the pain as I try to stop the pulsing blood flow, "and don't forget, Iris. Everything you are is because I saved you. I created you."

A harsh wind blows through the branches, followed by a deafening silence that hangs over me as a blanket. A few swollen tears fall down my face as I'm left alone and bleeding in the middle of the woods.


	6. Message Delivered

_Now we're getting into some heavier stuff. This chapter is a little short, but hopefully the next few will be worth the wait. Since I haven't said it yet and I feel obligated to, I do not own any of this story except my OC's and basically the noncanon plot. Thanks so much for the R&R and I hope you continue to for these next juicy chapters_

_- Fell_and_Fallen -_

* * *

"_Hey, has anyone seen Ash today?" Cole asks as he emerges onto the deck where Zane, Kai, and Jay are just starting morning training._

"_Not yet," Jay answers as he struggles to set up a dummy. It clicks into place and his wipes a few beads of sweat from his brow. Lloyd helps Kai set up another few pieces of equipment nearby._

"_Well, she's not in her room," Cole says as he fixes his gear. It's a cold morning, and after being inside the heated ship the wind is biting. "And I can't find her anywhere."_

"_Maybe she's gone into the city," Zane guesses from where quietly meditates. His eyes peel open as he addresses the others. "She seemed very overwhelmed after dinner last night. I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted some time alone."_

"_Ugh, that reminds me," Jay sighs. "After that fun discussion at dinner, Nya found out that our flight systems are jammed. I was going to try and fix it after breakfast, but Nya says she's going to take a look at it first." He shakes his head. "We're grounded until then."_

"_I'm sure it's nothing we can't fix," Kai pats him on the back. "We'll be up and flying in no time."_

"_That still doesn't answer my question," Cole says. "I'm worried about Ash. She was really upset last night, but I don't think she'd just disappear like this. Especially without telling anyone."_

"_Well, she did say something."_

_The ninja look up as Lloyd puts down the box of equipment he'd been sorting. _

"_She talked to you?" Kai asks, and Lloyd nods._

"_I went to see if she was okay, and she said she was going for a walk," he answers. _

"_At night?" Jay says. "In the woods?"_

"_Did she say anything else?" Zane asks, and Lloyd shakes his head._

"_But she was kind of out of it," he says. "And she kept pushing me to go to bed."_

"_Well, kids like you need a lot of sleep," Kai says as he ruffles Lloyd's hair. "She was probably just looking after you."_

"_So she went out to take a walk after dinner and still hasn't come back?" Cole shakes his head. "Anyone else getting a funny feeling?"_

"_Take a deep breath, Cole. I'm sure she's fine," Kai says. "Ash lived how many years in the woods by herself?" He shakes his head. "I doubt there's anything out there she can't handle."_

* * *

I'm clutching the rope tightly with white-knuckled hands as I bite down on my pain and inch up a little closer to the deck of the ship. The wound in my side has reopened and drips blood to the ground under me, but I do my best to ignore it. I flatten my hands against the deck of the ship and pull myself with agonizing slowness up and onto the wood of the ship.

There are voices ahead of me that sound like they're coming from a mile away, and not for the first time my head fogs up and threatens to throw me into unconsciousness. I fight it and push myself up and onto my feet. I lean heavily against the railing and try dazedly to catch the blood that streams from my side, but it just falls between weak fingers. I can make out five vaguely familiar shapes in the dark blur that is my vision, and somehow I manage to force a sound out of my mouth.

"Guys," I call out in a voice that sounds faint even to my ears. "Help."

One of them cries out as my vision spirals and I fall in a tangled mess to the floor, jarring my head with a thousand stars against the wood of the deck. Something grabs hold of my body and keeps me from blacking out, pulling me from the depths of the darkness that clouds my eyes. I struggle to focus on the mangled voices around me.

"Ash! What happened?" Cole's voice asks, and then catches, letting me know he's seen the damage. "Oh no."

"Hold on, Ash, I'm getting Sensei Wu," Kai's blurry shape rushes off to another part of the ship. A familiar face moves into focus, and I struggle to force air into my throat.

"Don't let- him see," I gasp as Lloyd's murky shape disappears and reappears behind the ninja's shoulders. Cole glances from me to Lloyd, and gently pushes the kid away.

"Go help Kai," he orders in a composed voice. Lloyd seems about to argue, but one look at my face and he complies. He disappears from my vision.

"What do we do?" Jay asks. His eyes are wild and panicked.

"We need to stop the bleeding," Zane says as he tugs off his training robe. He pulls up my blood-soaked shirt and gently presses the white fabric against my side. I hold back a wild scream of pain, and Jay jumps as a scatter of flames explodes from my hands. I clench my fingers tight against my palms and try not to focus on the darkening fabric.

"We have to get you into bed," Cole says. "I'm sorry, Ash." I bite back another scream as he lifts me up into his arms and starts to carry me across the ship, Zane and Jay hurrying closely behind.

"Ash, can you hear me?" Zane tries to talk to me, though I can barely register it as I lurch in Cole's arms. "Can you tell us who did this to you?"

I close my eyes and remember my father's sneering face just before he ordered Hale to rip me apart. My throat chokes, and it takes an agonizing gulp of air to force my voice out.

"Hale's alive," I cough. "He's alive."

"What?" Cole echoes. "But you deep-fried him!"

"That's not the worst," I manage to choke out, coughing painfully as my throat constricts and almost closes. "It's all true. What Sensei said. All of it. My dad. Everything. It was all his plan. The contract. Hale. All for revenge."

"Your _dad_ tried to kill you?" Jay gasps. "That's insane!"

A familiar white shape moves into view, followed by Kai and the small shape of Lloyd.

"Oh my," Sensei breathes as he catches sight of me.

"Sensei," I gasp as I try to focus on his shape. "You were right. Desmond. He killed my parents. He said this was a warning." My chest heaves as I struggle to stay conscious. "If I don't join him. He'll kill us all."

"Enough, Ash. You need attention immediately. We'll talk more once you've recovered," Sensei Wu waves me and Cole into my room, where Cole sets me down carefully onto the bed.

"Go now and wait. I'll work as quickly as I can," Sensei says as he starts to push the ninja, and Lloyd, out of the room.

"Sensei, will she be alright?" Cole asks, just a dark blob in my disappearing vision.

"Go, Cole. I will take care of her," Sensei shuts the door on them and rushes back to me.

"Sleep, Ash," he puts a hand on my shoulder. "Your work is done. You can rest now."

I relax against his touch and finally give into darkness.


	7. Road to Recovery

For the first time in months, I dream of the fire. This nightmare usually plays out the same way, ending with my father and I being separated by towering, suffocating flames. But this time, the flames are replaced by his face.

Desmond's cold eyes glare down at me from every angle, sneering and hissing dark words that tear through my mind. I raise my arm, but nothing happens. The heat that usually sparks from my fingertips is gone, leaving only my trembling pale hand between me and the monster.

He laughs and looms closer, his breath as frigid as arctic ice. I can feel myself freezing in my spot as the flames that once surrounded me are replaced by tall, jagged glaciers. The temperature drops to subzero, freezing the sweat that just clouded my body. Instead of fire, I'm drowning in piercing ice that spreads through my body with a fire of their own, and I'm helpless to do anything except stare at the chilling gaze that has me trapped.

I breathe and my lungs fill with an excruciating cold, like I've just swallowed a barrel of knives. My skin grows pale, my fingers flush, and my entire body explodes in frigid pain. Every breath feels like a sword to my chest as I struggle against the ice that holds me to my spot.

I take one agonizing step, then another, every frozen muscle in my body screaming as the cold clenches tight on my bones. Desmond's many faces laugh and sneer, and as they begin to glower deeper into my own the temperature drops another twenty degrees.

Thin, pale frost covers my skin like lace, sewing my muscles together with their frigidness. My legs come to a stop beneath me, and whatever warmth I was generating disappears. My chest aches and I'm finding it hard to keep my eyes open. My vision fills with cold, piercing my eyes with excruciating pins and needles. My body is a frozen statue and I'm trapped inside, struggling to remember how it felt to be warm. It hurts so much to breathe, to blink, to even think, and I feel myself start to slip.

As I spiral into darkness, the last thing I hear is Desmond's wild laughter.

When my eyes open, the cold is gone.

I stir against my pillows, feeling every muscle in my body twist and strain against each movement. I let out a low moan and something clatters to life nearby.

"Ash, you're awake!"

My hazy vision refocuses on the other person in the room, and with a few blinks I realize it's Nya. She gives me a friendly smile as she approaches the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I've just been run over by an army of steamrollers," I groan as I try to sit up, wincing as a sharp pain stabs my side. I glance down and see my stomach is wrapped tightly in clean white bandages, bundled more heavily where the wound in my side is. Looking at it makes my stomach fill with sour nausea, and all at once it starts to crawl up my throat.

"Oh no-" I splutter as I clamp my hands over my mouth and try to calm the raging in my stomach. It growls loud enough to wake the dead, and Nya immediately springs into action.

She snatches a small teacup from the bedside table and holds it up to my mouth. "Just take a deep breath and swallow, alright?" she says just as I take a sniff of the foul-smelling liquid sloshing around inside the cup.

I blanch. "You've got to be kidding."

"It'll help," she explains. My expression doesn't change. "Don't make me force it down your throat."

I give her a look but oblige, sucking in an enormous breath before I swallow the burning contents of the cup. I almost heave it back out, but Nya's expression is enough for me to clamp my mouth shut and wait for the burning to subside.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" she gives me a smile and I shake my head.

"Almost as fun as getting shot," I cough as a strong bitter taste forces its way up my throat. Thankfully, the nausea subsides and the ache in my side calms to a dull throb. "What was that?"

"One of Sensei's special teas," Nya explains. "He said it would help numb your pain."

"Yeah, by numbing everything else," I shudder as the tingling in my throat spreads through every nerve in my body. I shake my head again. "And he wonders why I hate tea."

"Hey, at least you're alright," she says. "We were worried about you."

"Thanks," I say sincerely. "How long was I asleep?"

"It's only been a day," she answers. "Sensei says you should be alright in a few more. You're pretty lucky. Another few centimeters to the left and Hale would've killed you."

"He didn't mean to. Desmond only wanted to scare me," I say in a quieter voice. The name brings a different taste to my mouth: metallic and full of dread. "Next time I won't be so lucky."

"Hey, you're alive and safe now," Nya says as she puts a comforting hand on my shoulder. Her skin is surprisingly warm against my own, and I briefly remember my dream. I fight back a shudder as I focus on her voice. "That's all that matters. We can deal with Desmond when you're better."

"You're right," I nod, but her optimism falls on deaf ears.

Nya gives me another soft smile before she takes her hand away and retreats toward the door. I watch as she picks up a bucket and a heavy brush and starts scrubbing at a few dark stains on the floor. I realize with a twinge in my stomach that she's cleaning up my blood.

The door clicks open and pulls me from my morbid thoughts. Nya and I look up as Sensei walks in.

"I see you've woken up. How are you?" he greets me.

"Physically, surprisingly okay," I answer, then shake my head. "Mentally?" A few scattered flames fly between my fingers, and I force the dark memories into the farthest corner of my mind.

"You went through a great ordeal," Sensei nods solemnly as he takes a seat in the chair by my bed. "It is a miracle you survived the journey back here."

He gives me a comforting gaze. "Ash, I know this is difficult for you, but I need you to tell me what happened. You were delirious when you arrived, and I want to be sure we know the full story. What happened between you and your father?"

I drop my eyes and fight the heat that roils into my fingertips. "Desmond isn't my father," I say in a dark voice. I explain everything to Sensei. The letter, meeting Hale and Desmond, finding out the truth. I almost lose it trying to explain my parents, but manage to keep myself together to finish the story. When I do, Sensei has a grave look on his face.

He closes his eyes and for a few seconds the room is completely silent as Nya and I watch him. When he opens his eyes again, they're ringed with tears. "I am sorry to hear about your parents," Sensei says. "As I said before, I knew your father before you were born. I was afraid something had happened to him, but not like this." He shakes his head.

"He said he was getting back at them for killing his wife," I say in a quiet voice. "Desmond did. I don't know his plan, but he wants me to help him destroy Ninjago."

"But you would never do something like that," Nya says. "You're one of us now. His plan failed."

"I'm not so sure," I shake my head. "Hale is still alive. You remember how he controlled me with just a touch. If he gets close enough, it's over. I won't have a choice anymore."

"With luck, he will never get that close," Sensei says as he starts to get up. "But until you are healed I'm afraid I cannot allow you to go anywhere by yourself. One of us must be with you at all times, and I'd prefer you not to leave the ship."

He lets out a sigh and turns to Nya. "This would be much easier if we could get airborne. How is progress on that?"

"Slow," she shakes her head. "Jay and I can't make heads or tails out of it. Everything looks fine, but for some reason it just isn't working. Until we figure out what's wrong, we're grounded. Unless the guys want to get out and start pushing."

"Keep working on that. The sooner we're back in the sky, the better. Even with his mind-control, I'm certain Hale cannot fly."

"I want to help-"

Sensei turns back to me. "Ash, the wound Hale gave you is serious. Another few centimeters and it would have killed you before you were anywhere near the Bounty. It's going to take time to heal- longer if you push yourself now and reopen it."

"I can't just sit here and do nothing," I press. "Especially with Desmond and Hale out there."

"I know you are afraid, Ash, and rightfully so. But you are hardly in any shape to walk, much less fight. Rest and regain your strength. Then we will see about confronting Desmond."

"But-"

"You may continue doing the mental exercises I've taught you, and I'm sure everyone would be willing to help you around the ship," Sensei says. His eyes darken. "Or I can lock you in here."

Nya stifles a giggle as I close my eyes and let out a breath. "Fine. I'll sit out," I give him my own look. "For now. As soon as I'm feeling better I'm going after him."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Sensei says as he starts to leave. "For now, rest and heal."

The door clicks shut behind him, and I let out a sigh.

"Remind me to never get shot again," I grumble as I slump back against the headboard. My side twists and throbs, and I bite back a face. "Talk about stifling."

"It's for the best," Nya says, though a part of her voice sounds like she doesn't buy it either. She chuckles a little. "And it could be worse. No shore leave is one thing, but at least he hasn't chained you to the bed."

I can't help a smile. "I'd like to see him try."

There's a sudden commotion from above our heads and incomprehensible but angry voices waft down through the floorboards. Nya and I exchange glances.

"I'll take it he's told the boys you're awake," she says. She lets out a sigh as she steps back from my bed. "Cole's been throwing quite the fit since you got back, and I think Sensei's going to have his hands full. Better go calm the raging testosterone before someone gets hurt."

"I'll come with you," I say as I start to pull the blankets from my body and get to my feet. Nya gives me a dubious look.

"Ash, you heard what he said-"

"I can't stay in this room forever," I wince as my feet steady on the floor. My side throbs like a disembodied heart, and I try not to let it show on my face. I give her a smile instead. "And you might need some backup for Team Estrogen."

Her face doesn't change, and I roll my eyes.

"I'll come right back here when we're done, alright?" I give her my most trusting smile, even if it is a little forced. "And I promise I'll be extra careful."

"Alright. But you're coming back the second we're finished," she narrows her eyes at me. "Even if I have to drag and chain you to the bed myself."

"Duly noted," I grin as she shakes her head and leads me to the door. I hobble along after her, struggling to straighten my walk as each step twists my side painfully. Nya notices my discomfort, but thankfully doesn't say anything as we start the agonizing journey to the upper deck.

Minutes later, I lean on Nya's arm as we emerge into the too-bright light of the open ship. I'm breathing more heavily than usual from our perilous trip up the steps, and try to ignore the smug smile that touches Nya's lips.

The ninja are gathered around Sensei some feet away, with Lloyd hovering just outside their circle. Cole, Kai, Jay, and Sensei seem to be in the middle of a very heated debate, with Zane offering small comments every so often.

Their conversation stops as Nya and I approach at a slow pace.

"Ash," Cole's face clears of tension for a second as he and the others thankfully move to meet me halfway. My stomach churns with pain and nausea and I get the bad feeling that tea is about to make a reappearance.

"We're glad you're okay," Zane smiles. He's wearing a bright, brand new robe, no doubt a replacement for the one I ruined. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly, like I ate a box of disagreeable knives," I answer. "But hey, I'm still kicking."

"You are very lucky to be alive, Ash, and as such you should be resting," Sensei narrows his eyes at me.

Cole's jaw reclenches. "How can we sit here and rest while Hale and Desmond are still out there? We need to go after them!"

Sensei lets out a deep sigh. "We've been over this. I know you are all eager to get moving, but we cannot face Desmond unprepared. Ash has already agreed to take it easy for the next few days-"

"What?" Cole turns to me.

"Those weren't my exact words," I say. "Honestly, I'm as revved up as the rest of you to give Desmond a taste of his own medicine."

"Then let's go!" Jay says. "The longer we wait, the more time he has to attack first!"

I take a deep breath. "But Sensei is right."

"What?" Kai starts. "Ash, the man nearly killed you!"

"Exactly," I say. "I almost died. I can hardly walk, hardly breathe, heck, I can't even stand up straight without help. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm in no shape to go after Desmond."

"Then we go after him ourselves," Cole says, and the rest of the ninja nod. "We've handled worse with less."

"You don't know him like I do," I press. "Desmond is different. He's cunning, dangerous, plus he has Hale and his powers. I'm the only one who knows what we're up against. I know his fighting style, the way he thinks. If you go after him alone, he'll destroy you."

I swallow the sandpaper that's suddenly wrapped my throat. "He knows how much all of you mean to me, and he's going to do everything in his power to get me on his side. He already killed my parents, I won't let him get to you. If that means staying on this godforsaken ship playing Monopoly and watching paint dry, then fine. As soon as I'm healed, we'll take him down. Together. Not a second sooner or later."

There's a few seconds of silence as my words sink in, then Sensei lets out a deep sigh.

"I believe our decision is made," he turns to the ninja. "Until Ash has recovered, no one leaves this ship. We will stay, train, and do what we can to prepare for whatever Desmond has planned."

"Alright," Cole lets out a breath. "But I'll hold you to that promise, Ash. I hate being benched."

"I know," I smile a little. My side wrenches, making me double over as I fight the nausea that hits me like a freight train.

I cringe up at Nya. "I think I'll go back to bed now."

"You sure you're going to make it?" she asks as I lean against her again and clench my stomach as pain and nausea mix together in nasty cocktail.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be fine," I groan as my head starts to spin. "Eventually."

"Let me help," Lloyd steps forward to support my other side, helping to keep my body semi-straight as I turn with agonizing slowness back to the stairs.

"Ash, are you sure you're alright?" Kai asks with a cringe as I stop to catch my breath. When did it get so hard to breathe?

"Yeah, fine, fine," I nod and spare a hand to wave the concerned ninja away. "Go back to training or whatever. I'll just go lie down for a while and uh, see you later, alright?"

They don't seem convinced, but I ignore their worried looks and focus on putting one foot in front of the other as Lloyd and Nya lead me back to my room.


	8. Memories and Meditation

_I love this chapter. Not much happens in terms of excitement, but it's definitely touchy-feely. I hope you enjoy it, because I sure do XD Let me know what you think!_

_Thanks for reading_

_- Fell_and_Fallen_

* * *

The next few days pass in a blur of pain, nausea, and Sensei's Tingling Tea. Nya, Lloyd, and Sensei take turns stopping in through the day to make sure I haven't ralphed up an organ or overdosed on tea, but for the most part I'm left alone, shuddering and queasy under a mountain of blankets. The adventure that spurred me the first day has completely drained from my system, and much to Sensei's satisfaction I haven't tried a daring escape plan. Instead, I sip soup and try to entertain myself with a book or fitful sleep.

Eventually, everything starts to subside. The nausea that kept me up through the night is just a sour twinge that tickles my throat every once in a while, and although the pain in my side is still substantial, it no longer hurts enough to make my legs numb. I feel strong enough to drag myself out of bed and stand with only a little trouble. I still need Lloyd's help to wobble up the stairs, but by the time we get to the dining room I'm walking pretty well on my own.

"Hey, you're up!" Jay cheerfully greets me as Lloyd and I enter. "You feeling okay?"

"Better," I nod as Lloyd helps me sit. "Still not a-okay, but at least I'm not ready to spew my guts anymore."

"Ugh, forget we asked," Kai shakes his head, but offers a smile. "Glad you're back."

"Glad to be back," I return the smile. "So what's for dinner? I've had enough chicken-noodle soup and tea to last a thousand lifetimes."

Cole emerges from the kitchen with a grin. "I'm glad you asked, because I'd like to introduce you to something I like to call 'Parmesan French Toast'!"

My eyes widen involuntarily and I struggle to figure out how I forgot that today was Cole's dinner day. Jay lets out a snicker, and I realize Cole is looking at me expectantly. I cough and try to cover my surprise.

"Er, great," I smile, and his expression relaxes. I notice a seat is empty, and a bubble of hope fills my chest. "Where's Zane?"

"Oh, he's helping a little and finishing the sides," the black ninja shrugs. "But this really takes the cake, no pun intended-"

"Maybe Ash should sit this one out," Nya interrupts. I look up and she gives me a sly wink. "I mean, she's still healing and eating heavy foods might set her back. She should probably stick to smaller things."

"Yeah," I agree too quickly. I cough again. "I mean, maybe I should just stick to sides. At least for tonight. Wouldn't want to, uh, jeopardize the healing process, right?"

Cole gives me a dubious expression, but thankfully just shakes his head. "Right," he seems deflated, but almost immediately perks back up. "Well, I hope everyone else enjoys it!"

"Yep. Can't wait," Jay says through clenched teeth as Cole hurries off to bring plates.

"Way to throw the rest of us under the bus, sis," Kai shakes his head. He's lowered his voice so the black ninja won't hear. "Maybe I should go throw myself down the stairs or something."

"Hey, if I could endure your cooking, we can endure Cole's," Nya whispers back. "Besides, how bad can it be?"

"Last time you said that none of us could move for the next twenty-four hours," Kai gives her a pointed look.

"You have to get better soon, Ash, because I don't know how much more I can take of this," Jay pleads. "Last time I almost got sick over Nya!"

"Let's not talk about that," Nya shakes her head.

Cole returns, bringing the conversation to an end, but everyone's mood lifts as Zane appears which much more edible food. I barely hold back a smug smile as I eat a salad while everyone else is subjected to the blackened experiment dubbed "Parmesan French Toast". Jay almost sobs into his plate, but quickly fixes his expression before Cole can see and Kai expertly shoves it down too fast to actually taste it. I mouth a thank you to Nya, who winks and discreetly hides her uneaten French toast under a napkin.

"So how are you feeling, Ash?" Zane asks as he pointedly ignores the food in front of him and instead slowly munches a carrot. His eyes are narrowed ever so slightly at Cole, and I wonder if he's actually offended by the blasphemous food.

"Better," I answer. "I think I'll be right as rain in the next few days."

"Then we should probably come up with a battle plan," Kai says. "Any idea where Desmond might be hiding?"

My stomach sinks at the sound of that name, and I chalk it up to the acrid smell of cinnamon and parmesan. I pick at my salad and wonder where my appetite went. "Uh, no. Honestly, he could be anywhere at this point. I mean, he managed to hide from all of us for four years."

"Well maybe-"

"Perhaps we'll talk about this some other time?" Zane's fixes his icy stare on Kai. I look up and cool gaze finds mine, and something imperceptible passes between us.

"Uh, sure I guess," Kai blinks, a little taken aback from the sudden change in atmosphere.

"Anyway," I cough a little and try to force a little more food into my mouth. "Where's Lloyd?" His chair had emptied in all the excitement, and I wonder if he found another way to escape Cole's cooking.

"Oh, I sent him to get the mail," Nya says. "It's pretty useful having someone else around to run errands. Or at least someone else I can count on to run errands."

"Hey, we're protectors of the realm," Kai humphs. "We don't have time for-"

"Picking up the mail?" Nya arches a dark eyebrow. "You're even lazier than I thought."

Lloyd enters the room again, a large box balanced precariously in his small arms. He drops it in front of Sensei, and from the noise, whatever's inside it is heavy. A stack of letters slides from the top and clatters onto Sensei's plate, into the sticky goop of cinnamon and syrup.

"Sorry," Lloyd apologizes as he tugs the letters out.

"Hey, that one's mine," Jay clatters out of his chair to retrieve his mail, frowning a little as the envelope drips a thick glob of syrup onto the table. He shudders.

"So what's in the box?" Kai asks as Sensei pulls the box closer to him.

"Just a few pieces of equipment," Sensei answers, "and some new robes for Zane, given that he's ruined two just in the past few days."

"Neither incident was my fault."

"Oh, this was there too," Lloyd says as he reaches into his sweater and pulls out a smaller box wrapped in black paper. "It says it's for Ash."

I set my fork down. "Me? I never get mail."

He nods and passes me the box. It feels light, but is substantial enough for me to set it down on the table. A card is attached to the top with just a couple of words typed on it in small print-

_For Ash_.

"Do you know who it's from?" Cole asks as I take the card and turn it over in my hands.

"It doesn't say," I answer.

Jay puts down his letter and takes the card from me. "That's weird," he says. "Who types a greeting card?"

"Looks like there's only one way to find out," Kai says as his eyes set on the box. The temperature in the room seems to drop, and I feel my stomach roll with something other than nausea.

My hands tremble a little as I reach out and take the paper in my fingertips. "What if it's from Desmond?" I ask as the dark thought rushes to the front of my mind. "What if something happens?"

"That doesn't seem like his style," Cole shakes his head.

"Cole is right," Sensei nods. "If Desmond wanted to kill you, he would have done it when he had you alone in the woods. His goal is to get you on his side. Killing you before you even recovered would leave that unfulfilled."

So what could be inside? I bite my lip, but reach out again and start to tear into the box before my doubts catch up to me.

The surface beneath the paper is also black and sleek, like a gift box from the store. I take a deep breath and pull the lid open, setting it on the table before I bring myself to look inside the box. The others crane over my shoulders and the table to get a look, and it takes a few seconds before I register what I'm seeing.

"Pictures?"

Kai leans over my shoulder, his eyebrows knit together in confusion, but as soon as my mind realizes exactly what I'm looking at I'm staggering to my feet and retreating a dozen steps.

"Ash?"

"They're mine," I stutter, my eyes fixed on the box of photos in front of me. "Or they used to be. From when I was a kid. They-they're…"

I take a deep breath and force myself to take a picture from the box, one that is worn, dog-eared, and incredibly familiar. The faded face of a curly-haired woman smiles back at me, her cheeks creased with smile lines. She glows in the light that strikes her dark eyes and holds the bundle in her arms out proudly. The baby hidden among the blankets is sleeping, and peaceful in its mother's arms. Its eyes may be closed, but I know all too well that once they open they'll be a bright crimson red.

"I used to keep this under my pillow," I say in a soft voice. "It's my mom."

"Why would he send you these?" Kai asks as I take the box and dump its contents on the table. Dozens of pictures spill out, every one filled with my younger face, smiling at Desmond who held the camera. There are a few of him there too, clumsy photos I took while he was teaching or working on something else. My stomach twists.

"He's trying to remind you of your past," Sensei says as he picks up another picture. "To get inside your head."

My hand clenches around the one in my hand. "Well it's working. These are the only things left of my childhood."

"Then we won't look at them," Cole says as he starts shoveling the pictures back into the box. "If this is part of his plan, we aren't playing."

"Perhaps he also gave away his location," Zane looks up at Nya. "Do we know where the package came from?"

Nya sifts through the paper. "Looks like everything is blank except for the card and our location on the bottom. No return address."

"Ash, are you okay?"

I blink at the sound of Jay's voice and realize I've been staring at the floor. "Uh, yeah," I answer with a shake of my head. "Yeah, I'm fine, just…"

I open my palm to my mother's face, the glowing smile that I'd memorized every night before I went to bed. I swallow the lump in my throat. "This was the only picture of my mom I had. I have no idea how he got it, but he knows what it means to me. If he's trying to get under my skin, he knows exactly how to do it."

I look up at everyone's worried faces, and crack a small smile. "Hey, I'm not about to burst into flames or anything. I'm just," I look down at the picture again, "afraid. If this is how Desmond's trying to convince me to help him, I'm terrified to see what he's going to do when I keep refusing."

"Looks like you're going to have to get better a little faster," Nya says in a quiet voice.

The room is swallowed by uncomfortable silence until Sensei picks up the box and takes it away "until I'm ready". The rest of us start to disperse, leaving dishes for whatever poor soul has to deal with it tomorrow, and the ninja head off to their room as I start for my own.

Someone approaches me, and I turn with a sigh. "Cole, I don't want to talk-"

"It isn't Cole."

I blink and realize I'm staring into Zane's cool eyes, soft but calm against my own. I blink again and manage an, "oh."

"I saw him coming this way and told him he left his scythe in the kitchen. It should by us some time," he says. When I don't speak, he continues. "I noticed you're still holding the photograph of your mother." His gaze flicks to my hand still clenched around the picture. He holds his own hand out. "Do you mind?"

"No," I shake my head as I hand the small picture to him. He stares at it for a few seconds before returning it to me.

"She's beautiful."

"Thanks," I answer. I glance back at the picture again, staring at it the way I used to as a kid. "I never knew her. She died just a few months after I was born."

"I'm sorry to hear that," his eyes grow sad.

"It's fine, it happened a long time ago," I shake my head.

The silence between us grows awkward, but thankfully Zane speaks again.

"Ash, would you like to join me-"

"Thanks, but I really don't want to talk-"

He smiles a little. "I know. I just wanted to know if you wanted to come meditate with me. I've found it helps clear my head before I go to sleep. Perhaps it will help you as well."

I blink. "Oh, well. Uh-"

"It will keep you away from Cole until he's asleep."

I don't hesitate. "Alright, Zane, lead the way."

The white ninja's smile returns as he leads me down into the ship, past our rooms and to an unfamiliar part of the Bounty's hull. I briefly remember that Nya had storage down here, but never thought anyone else ventured this far into the ship. Zane is completely confident as he heads wherever we're going, and I guess that assumption was wrong.

We come to a stop in front of a small door, and Zane invites me in with a polite wave. I enter the room, surprised to see a few mats and scattered candles that make this place look… homey. Zane picks up a pack of matches and lights a few of the candles before nodding to the mats on the floor.

"Please," he says in a welcoming voice. "Sit."

I follow his orders and take a seat, watching curiously as he sits to face me. His posture is perfect, and, feeling a little self-conscious, I straighten up.

"This is really nice," I comment. "How often do you come here?"

"Usually before bed. More often if I have the time," he answers. His pale blond hair is almost white in the flickering candlelight, and his eyes are piercing, but not uncomfortably so. "No one ever comes here. It is a good place to relax and reflect. It allows me to think more intrusively and work through my problems before they make an appearance in the field. I thought you might benefit."

"I appreciate it," I say as I turn the picture in my hands. "Not that I don't appreciate everyone else wanting to talk, but I like to deal with my problems quietly. It's, uh, nice to see you do too."

Zane smiles a little, though it's laced with something else. "I know it's difficult dealing with so many emotions about your parents," he says slowly. "It's one of the things I think about during my meditation."

"Your parents?"

"Yes," his gaze shifts. "I have no memory of them. Of anything, really."

"What?"

"Don't be so concerned. I've had these problems for a long time," his smile returns. "And as you said, I like to deal with my problems quietly."

"Still, Zane," I shake my head. "That's… does anyone know about it?"

"Sensei has been helping me cope, though in terms of answers, my past is a complete mystery," he pauses. "I have, however, come mostly to terms with it. Whatever my past was, my place is here now. Although it would be good to find out who I am and where I came from, I have a duty as a ninja and protector of Ninjago. So I meditate and leave my problems in this room."

"Not wanting to remember my past is one thing, but not being able to remember," I shake my head again. "I can't imagine how frustrating that is."

A smile touches his lips. "I'll admit it is hard dealing with it, but this place does bring me much-needed peace."

"I wish I could help you," I say. "I'm sure the others would too."

"I do not want to worry them. Besides, they have come to accept me as strange, or robotic as Jay put it."

"Hey, you live on a ship with colorful heroes and a girl with severe pyromania," I smile. "You're hardly the strangest thing here. Besides, robotic isn't a bad thing. Sometimes we need robotic."

He returns the smile. "Thank you, Ash."

There's a loud clatter of noise overhead, and the muffled sound of raised voices. I look up as a soft frown touches Zane's lips.

"The others must be arguing over bed sheets again," he says. "It seems that our meditation will be cut short tonight. You are welcome to stay if you like."

"Thanks, but it's probably time for me to hit the hay too," I say as we get to our feet. I shake my head. "Looks like we ended up talking after all."

Zane laughs softly, and I look up at the unfamiliar sound. He seems a little confused by it too.

"That was… strange."

"Looks like you're not much of a robot after all," I grin. "Everyone knows robots can't laugh."

His soft, chirping laugh returns as we leave the room, and I can't help the growing smile on my face as we make our way through the dark halls.

We pause at my room and Zane gives me a final smile. "Goodnight, Ash."

"Goodnight, Zane," I smile back. "And thanks. That meditation really helped."

"It wasn't much of a meditation."

"Still, sitting someplace quiet just having a normal conversation… it was nice," I say. "And, uh, thanks for not asking anything about my-"

"We can talk about it when you're ready," he says. His gaze focuses on the picture in my hand. "Sensei once told me that meditating on an object could allow you to work through the feelings associated with it. I have nothing to try it on, but perhaps you may want to. It would give you a chance to unravel your feelings before one of us asks."

"That's a good idea," I nod. "Thanks. I'll have to try it sometime." I give him a pointed look. "Now go to bed before someone hears us and comes to see if I'm alright."

Zane shakes his head with a smile and retreats down the hall toward the warbled voices that seem to have calmed during our conversation. I watch Zane's white shape until it completely disappears before I close the door and go to bed.

As I lay and wait to fall asleep, I stare at my mother's face in the dim light streaming from the window. Her dark, creased eyes are the last thing I remember before I spiral into darkness.


	9. Voices in the Dark

_Ughhh these chapters get harder and harder to write. I hope you have your feels guarded, because this one hurts. I hope you've been enjoying it so far, because form here on our things are really going to pick up. Anyway, leave a review to let me know what you think! _

_- Fell_and_Fallen -_

* * *

_"Iris, want to play with us?"_

_ I look up from where I was digging in the ground. "Uh, no thank you. I'm doing things for my dad-"_

_ "Come on, you never get to have fun," one of them pokes me in the shoulder. The heat inside of me wells up, and I carefully swallow it._

_ "I have things to do-"_

_ "Everyone's going to play. You don't want to be the only one sitting out, do you? Don't you think your dad wants you to have fun?"_

_ I bite my lip. "Well-"_

_ "Come play with us! He won't even notice you're gone!"_

_ I look back at my house, where my dad sits inside doing his reading. I turn back to the other kids. "I guess it wouldn't hurt if I went for a few minutes…"_

_ "Okay, come on!"_

_ I'm tugged off my feet, leaving behind my collection of roots as I run off after the other kids and into the woods._

What's going on? What am I seeing?

_"3, 2, 1, here I come!"_

_ I tuck myself in the shadow of a tree, peering out into the clearing where the small tin can sits. The guard's started to look for the other players, and I duck back into my hiding spot before he sees me. Someone squeals nearby and I hurry behind another bush. The guard passes by and I hold my breath until he leaves. I smile a little. Dad's stealth training really helps after all._

What?

_ I'm the last one left. The can is directly in front of me and the guard is on the opposite side of the clearing. Now's my chance. I make a break for it, knowing more than anything else that I'm going to make it. My foot connects with the can and the game is over._

_ "Iris wins!"_

_ The guard rounds on me. "What, no! I looked everywhere!" he gets in my face. "Where did you hide?"_

_ My heart jumps from how close he is, and I manage to shakily point back to the bush._

_ "That's out of bounds! You cheated!"_

_ "No, I didn't-"_

_ "She won fair and square, Caiden, leave her alone," another kid says. He's scrawny, and I'm sure Caiden could easily snap him in half._

_ "No one asked you, Hale," Caiden snaps. His eyes burn into mine. "She's just a little cheater. You know what we do to cheaters?"_

_ He shoves me to the ground and I hit with a scream. He scrambles on top of me, tugging at my hair and hitting me in the face, throat, stomach. My hands tremble with heat, but I can't use it. Dad told me never to use it-_

Oh no.

_The fire explodes from me, scorching Caiden's hands as he flies back with an agonizing scream. I sit up and the other kids take a dozen steps back, staring at me with wide, horrified eyes._

_ "She's a witch!" Caiden screams. Tears stream from his eyes as he points at me with charred fingers. "She's going to kill us all!"_

_ "What, no-!"_

_ Something slaps me from the side, and I realize the others kids are throwing globs of dirt at me. They hit me in the side of my face and another blast of flames explodes from my hands. They scream and throw more, drowning my fire in the wet, dark dirt. _

_ "Stop!" I scream. "You're making it worse!"_

_ But they don't stop. They spit and throw, shouting horrible things at me as I'm pounded into the ground. I start to cry and my tears mix and turn the dirt into a thick, mucky paste. I wipe some of it from my eyes, and as I stare down at the mud through tear-filled eyes, I'm filled with a dark, powerful rage._

_ "I said stop!"_

_ The fire blasts and fills the clearing with towering flames. The kids drop their mud and start to flee, screaming in wild panic as the fire chases after them. It snaps and roars, feeding off the angry sobs that claw their way from my throat as I get to my feet. A silhouette appears in the flames, someone shouting my name, but I'm too far gone._

The memory changes. The flames are still there, but I'm older, taller, and my eyes glow with a primal rage. I'm standing in the middle of the village, and with a drop of my stomach I realize what I'm looking at.

No. Not this. Anything but this.

_The fire rages, consuming everything that stands in its way. People scream and scatter away from my blazing body, and cries of agony like music to my ears echo through the smoke-choked sky. These people who scorned me, who blamed me for everything, who hated me for being different, they deserve to suffer. To pay for what they've done._

No. No, they don't. It wasn't their fault. I couldn't control myself.

_I want to watch them all burn. I want them all to die._

Stop. I need to stop this.

_I enjoy every scream, every wild prayer that these people cry. They're the real monsters. They brought this upon themselves. _

I can't watch this anymore. I clench my eyes shut and try to end this nightmare. That's what this is, just a bad dream. I'm going to wake up and everything will be back to normal.

But the screams don't stop.

_Someone's trapped in their home. I can hear them begging me to stop, to remember who they are. But I don't care anymore._

I struggle against the memory, but it doesn't disperse. Why can't I wake up?

_The flames consume the house, and I laugh. The woman reaches out the window. She's young, pretty. Too young to die. _

No. No, no, no, no, no.

_She screams at me, asks why I'm doing this. I just give her a smile._

Wake up, Ash, wake up.

_I start to laugh as the fire engulfs her home, tearing it down to nothing but ash. My voice peals with hers as she lets out a final, feral scream before I'm the only thing left. A goddess surrounded by an army of fire._

WAKE UP!

My eyes fly open as I'm slammed with something cold. I let out a gasping breath as someone grabs me and tries to shake down the memories that haunt my vision.

"Ash, Ash! It's us!"

My vision suddenly clears and I'm face to face the wild, worried eyes of Cole. I'm shivering and dripping with water, and with a glance at the bucket clutched in Jay's hands I realize what they've done.

"You were on fire," Jay says numbly. I look around the room and notice the charred scorch marks that paint the walls and ceiling like scars.

"Ash," Cole's voice brings my attention back to him. "What happened?"

"I- I lost control," my voice is broken as I shudder in his grip. "I couldn't stop myself- I-" The woman's screams echo through my mind again, dislodging a thousand memories that cloud my eyes. The people I hurt, mutilated, killed-

"Ash!"

My eyes open again and the acrid smell of burning cloth fills my nose. Cole's recoiled from me and I realize I've burned through his gloves. I clench my hands over my face. "I'm sorry, I can't- I can't stop myself-"

"You have to take a deep breath, alright?" he says carefully. "Like I told you before, remember? Take a deep breath."

I fight my shuddering and suck in a rattling breath. When I let it back out, my trembling calms, if only slightly.

"I'm sorry," I squeeze my eyes shut and a couple of unbidden tears streak down my cheeks. "I didn't mean to-"

"Hey, it's fine. No harm done," Cole shows me his hands, and thankfully they seem untouched. "See? I'm okay."

I cover my face with my hands again and take in another few trembling breaths. "Good. I'm glad."

Someone clatters into the room, and we look up to see Sensei and Nya standing in the doorway with a disheveled Lloyd.

"We heard something happened," Nya says as she looks between the ninja, me, and finally the destroyed room.

I move my hands away from my face. "I was- I was trapped in a dream. I couldn't get out. I watched myself lose control when I was a kid. When I-" I swallow the lump in my throat. "Why couldn't I get out? I knew it was a dream, but I couldn't wake up. Why couldn't I wake up? Why-?"

"Ash," Cole grabs my hand as it starts to tremble again. My breathing hitches and my head starts to spin. "Breathe."

I force myself to take a deep breath and force the awful memories back. "I'm sorry. It was," I blink, "It was so vivid."

"Sensei, have you heard of this before?" Zane asks, noting Sensei's dark expression.

"I have, though I have never seen it done," Sensei answers. His hands clasp more tightly around his staff. "There are thousands of old spells, most of which have been lost to time, but I have heard of a few that would allow its user to trap someone inside a strong memory. If Desmond is prolific enough to have found this spell and used it against Ash" – he shakes his head- "then we are dealing with a formidable power."

"So you're saying this can happen again?" I choke. "That every time I try to sleep I'll be-" The fire rages to the front of my mind and I clench my hands before it can explode again. I look up at the room around me, and suddenly I can't stand it anymore. I start to wriggle out of bed.

"I'm sorry, I can't look at any of this anymore. I have to-"

Cole grabs my sleeve. "Ash."

I look down at myself and realize the water dripping from my body is streaming red, and my side is pooled and dark. I carefully prod at it with a few fingers and pain snaps back with a furious bite.

"Looks like you ripped out your stitches," Nya says as she moves toward me. She peels my shirt away from the wound and I wince as the cloth tugs at the open nerves. "We'll have to redo them." Her eyes soften on mine. "Come on, I'll get you some new clothes too."

She glances at the others. "We can talk about this when you're feeling better."

"Yeah," I cough as I swipe a hand over my dripping face. "Later."

I start to follow her out the silent room, hoping he won't say anything. But just before I can escape:

"Wait, Ash-"

I stop, but can't bring myself to face him. "Cole, I know you want to help, but really, you're just going to get hurt. I can't think about this right now."

I stalk from the room before anyone can say anything else. Instead, I focus on putting one agonizing foot in front of the other as Nya catches up.

I know she wants to talk, to say any of the thousand things on her mind to try and make me feel better, but thankfully she just offers her arm and helps me hobble down the hall toward her room.

* * *

There's a soft knock on the door, but my eyes don't lift from the slick floor.

"Ash? Are you still conscious?"

I force myself to get up, catching the corner of my reflection in the fogged mirror before I crack open the door. A rush of steam hisses from the room, making Nya blink. She gives me a friendly smile.

"Are you trying to fumigate something in there?"

I can't help but crack a smile. "Heat is relative to me. I don't feel warm unless the water's scalding hot."

"Well that explains why Kai complains about the water every morning," she smiles back. "So how do those clothes fit you?"

"A little tight," I admit as I glance down at the outfit the more petite girl had lent me. "But better than wearing the ones I burned. Thank you ahead of time for getting me new ones."

"It isn't a problem. You're just lucky we were about to go on a supply run," her face softens. "So how are you feeling?"

"Well, with the new stitches-"

She gives me a pointed look. I let out a sigh.

"Honestly, like I've been thrown in the ocean without a raft."

"Sensei and Lloyd are looking into ways to combat the spell," Nya says. "I'm sure they'll find something to let you sleep."

"Even if they do, I don't think I'll ever be able to close my eyes again. Every time I blink all I can see is-" I shake my head. "It's something I never wanted to remember."

"Hey, if it makes you feel better the boys are out on a mission," she starts to push open the door. "You can come out safely."

"Right," I grimace as I emerge from the bathroom. The memory of Cole's distraught face claws to the front of my mind, and I struggle to wipe it away. I don't mean to be so distant, but all these memories and so little control… I'm not safe.

Nya notes my sobering mood and instantly adjusts. "So good news," she smiles. "Before they left, Jay gave me this."

She pulls a picture frame from behind her back and holds it out to me. I take it and stare at the picture for a second before I realize it's the photo of my mother. It's charred around the edges, but otherwise beautifully intact inside its new metal frame.

"The frame is completely fireproof. You're really attached to that picture, so we kind of decided to give it a new home. Jay's the one who threw it together so fast."

I stare up at Nya. "How-"

"Don't question it," she says. "Just enjoy it."

"Thanks," I say sincerely as I stare down at my mother's eyes, frozen in the same smile despite the burns just around her head. "Really. I don't know what to say."

"That's about enough," she grins.

She starts to retreat toward the door. "Now I have to go get food and your clothes, so if you want to stay here and enjoy the silence, you're very welcome. I'd invite you to come, but we wouldn't want you ripping your stitches out again."

I shake my head free of the memories that cloud it. "No, it's fine. I'll just stay here and uh," I look down at the picture again. "Meditate."

"Alright," her hand closes around the door. "Just holler at Sensei or Lloyd if you need anything. And, uh, stay safe."

I give her a reassuring smile. "Thanks, but I think I'll be alright." My gaze moves back to the picture. "If there's anything that can help me, it's this."

Nya seems confused by my cryptic response, but doesn't say anything. She just gives me a final nod before disappearing from the room.

She reappears just a few seconds later. "Oh, by the way, stay out of my wardrobe. There's, uh, moth balls in there and I wouldn't want you to, uh, have a sneezing fit or anything."

I arch an eyebrow. "A sneezing fit?"

"Just don't open it. If you need anything, find Lloyd or Sensei."

The door closes with the click and I'm left alone with the frame clutched in my hands. I look down into my mother's shining eyes and let out a breath.

"Guess it's just you and me."

* * *

The candlelight glows around me with an almost sinister warmth, but I try to ignore it and focus on the picture in my hands.

"Zane said this might help," I say to my mother. She only answers with a smile. "I guess I just have to relax."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. The darkness swallows my vision with bright spots of color from the flickering candles, and all I can hear is the familiar creak of the Bounty and my own breathing. My stomach roils at the thought of falling asleep and being trapped again, but I swallow the feeling and focus on relaxing.

A couple of minutes pass and the only thing I feel is the throbbing in my stitches.

"Why isn't this working?" I hiss as I open my eyes. My hands clench around the frame and I'm filled with a dark anger that sparks around my fingers, coiling around the smooth metal of the frame without damaging it. I try to force another deep breath.

"What am I doing wrong?"

I focus on my mother's smiling eyes, on the way her lips pull up in an almost familiar way. I never met the woman, and recently I've even had the miserable thought of whether she was actually my mother or just another part of Desmond's lies. But something about her is so…

Dark strands of hair poke out from under the bundle of blankets around the baby's head. No, my head. I don't know how to explain it, but I know I'm the one bundled in her arms, in my mother's arms. Her wide brown eyes are a far cry from mine, but that smile and that glowing face… I just know she's my real mother. The only speck of truth I have to hold onto in this crazy mess.

"You're all I have left," I mutter aloud, reaching a still hand to wipe away a streak of grime from the frame. "Just you and me."

_Iris._

My hand recoils from the frame. Someone whispered my name, my old name, the one I abandoned when-

_Iris._

I scramble to my feet, my eyes skirting around the empty room. This must be one of Desmond's tricks, another way to get inside my head-

_Iris, you're running out of time._

"What the hell?" I rush into the hallway, extinguishing the candles with a clench of willpower as I struggle to figure out where the voice is coming from.

"Who are you?" I call out. "Show yourself!"

_ Iris, please._

I push through a door and onto the deck, where the sky stares emptily back at me. One of my hands lights.

"Show yourself!"

"Ash, what's going on?" Lloyd's small shape appears nearby, but his voice sounds like it's coming through water.

_Iris, you must find us. It's the only way. _

"Who are you?" I scream. "Desmond, I swear if this is another game I'll tear your throat out-!"

_Time is short, Iris. You must hurry before it's too late. Find us before the end._

"What the hell are you talking about?"

_You know us, Iris. You always have. Come home and you'll remember. Come home._

I open my mouth to yell again, but someone grabs my shoulder and snaps me from my reverie.

"Ash!" Sensei turns me around to face him, and realize I've nearly slammed a flaming fist into his face. "What is going on?"

I try to answer him, but my mind is filled with a piercing pain. I let out a scream as I collapse onto my knees, clutching my head as the voice echoes everywhere at once, stabbing into my skull with a thousand swords.

_Come home, Iris. It's the only way. _

_ Come home._

_ Come home!_

"Ash!"

My eyes fly open as everything suddenly stops. The pain, the voice. All that remains are Sensei and Lloyd's terrified faces above me.

"Ash, what's happened?"

"I-I don't know," I shake my head. "There was a voice, and it was telling me things. To go home, to find someone, I didn't understand."

I look up into Sensei's troubled eyes. "It was Desmond, wasn't it? Another spell?"

"No, Lloyd and I found something to block his hold on your mind," he pauses, and his face changes. "Did you recognize the voice?"

"No," I shake my head. "But it has to be him. Just because it didn't sound like Desmond or Hale's doesn't mean it was-"

"There are spells that could allow someone to invade another's mind, but what you've described," he pauses again. "I do not believe it was Desmond."

"What?" I scramble to my feet.

"I was a friend of your father's, Ash, and he told me once of an experience he had before he met me. He spoke of a call that drew him to the sacred power of his ancestors, a power that gave him strength to come with me on our journey."

"A power?"

Sensei nods. "I never took the call literally, but if you what you are hearing are your ancestors-"

I shake my head. "You can't be serious. My ancestors are suddenly screaming into my head to come home? How could I go back to the place I destroyed?"

"I believe they mean your real home."

I lift my head. "What?"

"I mentioned the old rulers of Ninjago kept their court deep within the ancient forest at the heart of Ninjago. Perhaps they want you to return."

"Sensei, you understand how crazy that sounds? This could easily be Desmond trying to trick me into something," I stare down at the picture still clenched tightly in my hand. "I can't risk it."

Sensei's eyes follow mine. "That's the picture of your mother, is it not?"

I manage a nod. "I was, uh, meditating on it before I ran out here."

His eyes narrow ever so slightly. "I am sure Zane told you the effects meditation on an object could have," he says slowly. "Perhaps in thinking on your mother, you awakened the part of yourself that is attached to your family."

"So what? That still doesn't mean-"

"I'm not trying to push you out the door, Ash, but this is a matter for serious consideration," he says. "Whatever power Lindell received in the home of his ancestors was not something to be trifled with. It gave him a strength and resolve that you sorely need."

My heart thuds. "Lindell," the name feels strange in my mouth, like a word that's burned on the tip of my tongue for a long time. "That… that was my father's name?"

Sensei blinks. "Ah, yes. I'm sorry, I thought I told you."

"No, it's fine, just," I look into the picture of my mother, wondering if the person behind the camera was him, Lindell. My father.

Something shifts inside me. "Where did you say that forest was again?"

* * *

"You aren't serious."

I take a deep breath. "How many times to I have to say this? I have to find that power."

"Not alone, you aren't," Cole shakes his head. "Honestly, we leave for a few hours and you're ready to jump ship-"

"I'm ready to take this mess into my own hands," I snap. "I am sick and tired of sitting here waiting for Desmond to make a move. We have to get a jump on him, and getting this power could be just the push we need."

"Ash, you realize how dangerous this is," Zane's cool blue gaze burns into mine. His hands are clenched and his voice is tense, but he is by far the calmest person in the room. "You said yourself, this may be Desmond's doing."

"I think it's worth the risk," I say. "I've talked to Sensei about it. Whatever Desmond is doing, he wants me to lose control. He won't interfere with me gaining more power."

"Because it plays into his plan," Jay says as he angrily bites down on a piece of shrimp. "No offense, but this sounds like a suicide mission."

"Whatever power is in that fortress will strengthen me," I sit forward. "If anything, it'll shove me farther out of Desmond's control."

"Hopefully."

"As much as I hate to admit it, I have to agree with Jay," Kai sighs. "I don't see at all how this could end well, especially if you're trying to take it on by yourself."

"The only people capable of entering are the rulers of Ninjago," Nya says. "Even if we wanted to, we can't follow."

"But the forest is miles away and we don't have a ship," Cole shakes his head. "It'll take you days to get there and you think we can just let that slide?"

"I'm not asking you to like it, I'm asking you to trust me," I meet his gaze. "I know my limits, I'll take it slow."

"I'm sure that'll work when Hale decides to show up and shoot you again-"

My hands clench. "Are you always this block-headed? I know how to handle myself."

"Because that worked so well the last time-"

"Cole, I swear-"

Sensei enters the room before I can fly at the black ninja's throat. He drops a few scrolls in front of me, and I reluctantly relax my hands to examine them.

"Those are the maps that will guide you to the forest," he says as he takes a seat and pours himself a cup of tea. "With Nya's blessing, you can leave as early as tomorrow."

Cole scrambles to his feet. "What!"

Nya shrugs. "Ash knows what she's getting herself into. Might as well help her out before she finds a way to do it herself."

I give Cole a pointed look. "Thank you, Nya, for understanding."

"I know all of you are worried, but this could be the best opportunity we will ever have to gain an advantage over Desmond," Sensei says as he takes a long drag of tea. "This pilgrimage is something all rulers of Ninjago must take, some under even worse circumstances. I'm certain Ash will return to us safely."

"Sensei, you aren't serious-"

"My decision is made," I get to my feet and meet Cole's furious gaze with my own. "I'm going whether you like it or not."

He and I glare into each other's eyes for a long while, neither of us backing down. After a few seconds of intense focus, Cole lets out a snort and stalks from the room, leaving everyone in stunned silence.

"Anyone else?" I turn to the other ninja.

Kai raises his hand in surrender. "Hey, if the big guy can deal with it, I guess I can too."

Zane lets out a sigh. "I am in agreement as well. If this is what you believe is best… then I cannot argue."

"Well, looks like I have to say yes too," Jay grimaces as all eyes turn to him. "But I don't want to be the one who has to deal with Cole until you come back."

"Don't worry about him, Ash," Nya says as my eyes fix back on the open door. "He'll come around eventually."

"I hope so," I sigh and turn back to the others. "I guess that's it then. If everyone's cool with it…"

"We will get your supplies ready tonight," Sensei says. "You can leave in the morning."

I bite my lip and wonder if I'm doing the right thing. As much as the larger part of me thinks this is a good idea, I can't get over the fact that this might all just be part of Desmond's plan. What if gaining this new power does make it easier to fall under his control? What if something happens before I get there? And it's not like I even know what's going to happen when I find the forest and the place inside, or what kind of power my father found when he journeyed there however long ago.

But it has to be worth it. All this time of running away from my power, of not knowing who I am. It has to amount to something. It has to be part of something greater. I'm sick and tired of fearing my past, of being terrified of hurting someone. If gaining this power means I can finally be free of that… I'm willing to do whatever it takes.

Even if it means being alone.


	10. Welcome Home, Iris

_Sorry for the somewhat late post on this, I'm still trying to catch up a little on my writing. Anyway, I'm really loving these chapters and I hope you love them just as much as I love writing them. I'm always open to feedback, so don't hesitate to drop a review. Thanks so much to all of you who have been with me since the beginning. It really means a lot and your reviews are so instrumental to keeping me on track that I can't even thank you enough. But all in all, I'm just glad all you readers are giving my little story a chance. I'm always looking for more stuff to read, so if you want to hit me up with something new, that'd be really great! _

_I hope you enjoy this chapter. For added experience, I highly recommend you listen to the soundtrack while reading any and all of my stories. I know I do when I'm writing, and it's just a fantastic way to read anything. _

_Anyway, I'll get out of the way and let you read!_

_- Fell_and_Fallen -_

* * *

I fall flat on my face for the third time in an hour, spitting out dirt and grass as I push myself back onto my feet. The leaves above me whisper with a noise that sounds like laughter, and I can't help but feel that the trees have it in for me. I look back at the root I tripped over and entertain the idea of lighting it on fire, but shove the impulse aside to continue forward into the dark trees.

I wonder not for the first time if I'm lost. As useful as I thought Sensei and Nya's map would be, as soon as I entered the sprawling forest I realized it referenced landmarks that don't exist anymore or probably never existed in the first place. But as unfamiliar as the trees around me are, something draws me forward. Toward the center of the forest.

The world around me is completely silent except for the sound of blowing wind and my own footsteps through crunchy leaves. There are no birds, no rattle of animals in the bushes, no chatter of insects. But instead of feeling eerie, it feels reverent, as if the forest is holding its breath in the presence of something incredible.

I duck underneath a branch, and suddenly there it is: a massive fortress of stone and ivy rising from the forest in a cloak of shadows and fog.

In the past it must have been both beautiful and intimidating, but now its glory is masked beneath creeping vines and crumbling walls. Even then, something unspeakably powerful draws me forward away from the shelter of the forest and toward the imposing palace.

As I walk up the shallow, cracked steps a shiver runs from my forehead down to my toes, like I've just walked into an electric field. I face a pair of huge wooden doors splintered and warped by years of neglect. I swallow the lump in my throat and approach them, using all my strength to push them open.

With a reluctant groan and the sound of snapping wood, I stumble forward into a larger room. I look up, expecting to see a vast elaborate throne room, but instead I'm met with a few moth-eaten curtains and tumbling dust-bunnies.

"Hello?" I call out, a little afraid of what might answer. I let the bag of supplies slung over my shoulder fall with a clatter to the floor, sending the sound echoing into the large stone space. "Is anyone there?"

There's no reply, but I keep going. I haven't forged my way through miles of hills and forgotten woods to give up now.

As my eyes adjust to the dimly lit room, I make out a large, wing-backed stone chair cemented in the center of a low platform. Two crouched dragons make the armrests, their mouths coiled in a threatening snarl. They might have been incredibly imposing in their prime, but under so many layers of dust and plant life, they look more like warped lizards. Still, the same unexplainable something draws me toward it.

As I approach the center of the room, my footsteps ring loud and hollow, filling the air with echoing sound. I pause. That's strange. In a castle made entirely of stone, it shouldn't sound like-

The floor shudders underneath my feet and I turn back toward the entryway. The ground caves behind me as I struggle to make it to the door, but the stone beneath my feet disappears and I plummet. I reach out with wild fingers and just barely snatch at the edge of the solid floor with one hand, screaming as my shoulder jerks from the sudden weight.

I hang in empty air, coughing as a cloud of dust invades my lungs. I squirm and glance down beneath my dangling feet at the blurry floor far underneath me, too far for me to land without breaking something important. Carefully I move my other hand to the stone. The stone shudders, but holds, and I get a faint inkling of hope. I start to pull myself up when the ledge shudders and finally gives, throwing me into the darkness below.

* * *

When I wake up, my entire body aches like I've just been run over by a steamroller. Clouds of dust spin in the air around me as I try to move, but my leg erupts with scorching pain. I bite back a scream as I look down at my leg, which is twisted under white dust and rubble. My ankle sticks out at an awkward angle, and my leg curves in an unnatural way. I manage to sit up, clenching my teeth as my leg screams. I bite down on my tongue and taste blood, muffling the cry that bubbles in my throat. My vision swims as I look away from my broken leg and into the rest of the room.

In the past this place might have been a grand hall, but as I look around everything's covered in layers of climbing vines and thick dust. What isn't hidden is covered in beautiful spiraling designs and other symbols I can't read from this distance.

I shakily get to my feet, silently screaming every time my leg makes contact with the floor. I wobble on my other leg before I slowly start to hop forward, toward the opposite end of the hall. Something wet and hot streaks down my side, and I look down to where my shirt is sticking to the blood running from the injury Hale gave me. I shift my bandages over it and try to ignore it. There's nothing I can do to fix it now. I move painfully slowly and cautiously, praying that there aren't any more rickety floors for me to fall through.

By the time I make it to the opposite wall, my entire body throbs like one massive wound. I blink to clear the spots in my vision and look up at the wall towering before me. I realize that the symbols I thought were designs are actually hand prints pressed into the wall. Each one has a different symbol in the center of the palm, and they're all different sizes. Most are big and weathered, but others are tiny, smaller even than mine. Something pulls me forward, and I raise my hand and lightly touch the wall.

Something hot scorches through my arm, blasting me away from the wall and sailing back through the air. I land with a scream, my head exploding with dots as everything in my body burns with blistering agony. My arm rages like it's being ripped apart. I tear at it with my other hand, trying to tug away the dark ribbon that envelopes it like a shroud. I want to scream, watching whatever this thing is move like blood just below my skin. It curls tightly around my wrist, rattling as small shapes blaze to life and a pair of glowing orange dots burn straight into my eyes. I realize with a start that I'm staring into the eyes of a thin, red dragon.

"Iris. You finally came."

I jump, jarring every bone in my body. I scramble backward as a brilliant shape surges to life in front of me. Every part of my body screams against the movement, but I still manage to raise a threatening arm at the figure of a man before me.

He's tall, looming over my broken body and swallowed in a trail of blue robes. He looks young, his face lined with faint wrinkles and dark hair that falls neatly behind his ears. His light blue-grey eyes shine with a wisdom I've only seen in one other person, and I find my arm faltering.

"W-Who are you?" I ask, struggling to make sense of what I'm seeing. Maybe the fall I took did kill me. That would explain why I'm seeing ghosts.

The man's eyes grow sad as he moves a little closer to me. "Iris, you know who I am, don't you?" he asks. My mind rattles. His voice is the one that spoke to me what feels like eons ago, though it's only been a few days. Being face to face with him shifts something deep in my core. Something about this man feels all too real, too familiar. Like I've met him in a dream.

"Iris, please try to remember," he moves even closer. "Dig deep, Iris. Think of before."

Something clicks into place. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and lower my arm. The dragon rumbles against my wrist and I fight the urge to shake it off. "I know who you are," I manage to choke out, my voice sounding tiny in the huge room. "You're Lindell. My… My father."

The man smiles and his eyes grow red with tears. "Yes," he closes his eyes. "Fates, you don't know how long I've been waiting to see you, how long I've tried to reach you. I did all I could to get you to hear me, but it was never enough."

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't know," I wince as I struggle to sit up. My father opens his eyes and stares at me with concern.

"You're hurt," he crouches next to me. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize. Allow me."

He reaches out and lays his hand against my head, but instead of feeling the warmth of his skin on mine all I feel is cold. Something snaps inside me and I cry out as a wave of something surges through my body. I gasp out a breath as the surge stops, realizing with a twitch of my leg that the pain is gone.

"There. That should feel better," my father smiles as he straightens up.

I stare down at my fixed leg, then tug up my shirt and rip apart the bandages to see… nothing. Just a faint scar from where Hale's arrow tore through me. I gaze up at my father. "How did you-"

"I only stimulated your body's natural healing ability," he smiles. "Don't be so impressed."

I shake my head as I get to my feet. "Well I am," I return his smile, blinking a bit as I realize just how similar his grin is to mine.

His face softens. "You've grown so much," he chuckles a little. "Of course I haven't seen you since you were just a few months old, but still. This is… a pleasant surprise."

His smile returns. "I am very glad you came here, Iris. Speaking to you took most of our power to do, and some of us were unsure of whether you would come or not. But you did, and now we can finally share our knowledge with you."

"Us?" I glance around the empty room. My dad follows my gaze and lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Honestly, I know the rest of you were worried about me, but how am I supposed to explain things if you don't show yourselves?"

"Forgive us, your highness, for trying to give you a moment alone with your daughter."

From one blink to the next, the room is suddenly full of faint figures that flit in and out of focus. I take a surprised step back and find myself flattened against the wall.

"Look, now we've scared her," a young man shakes his curly head. "Your parenting is wonderful, Lindell."

My father narrows his eyes. "May I remind you that it was your child who decided it would be entertaining to take a joy ride through Ninjago City?"

A woman gets in my father's face. "What are you trying to say about me, Lindell? Don't make me find your mother-"

"What is this?" I ask before the entire room can go at it. Their eyes return to me.

"Oh, I'm sorry, darling," my father steps, no, glides forward. His feet don't even touch the ground. "Forgive us. We tend to get carried away."

"I didn't-"

"Sebastian," a small girl narrows her eyes up at the young man who spoke earlier. She's tiny compared to him, but he balks all the same. She turns bright gold eyes onto my dad. "Please, Lindell. Continue."

"As I was saying," my eyes return to my father. "My spirit, as well as those of our ancestors, is bound here. We live in the spirit world for most of our existence, but whenever Ninjago needs us, we reappear. Once our work is done, we will return to the spirit world until we're needed again."

"It can be irritating sometimes," the girl says. She tucks a long strand of blond hair behind her ear. "Especially when you've been around as long as I have."

"So you're stuck here until Ninjago is safe?" I ask. A niggling thought worms to the front of my mind. "But what about mom… and the others?"

"We have some communication with the spirit world, but until our work is done… We stay," my father's eyes soften against mine. "Don't worry, I will make sure your mother knows everything there is to know. She will be very happy to know you've grown so well."

I smile humorlessly. "I wouldn't call it that. It's… It's been rough."

His eyes fill with agony, and I regret mentioning it. "I'm sorry, Iris, I-" he shakes his head. "I should have known what Desmond would do. After what happened with his wife… I should have paid more attention or-"

"I don't mean to bring up bad memories, but Desmond…" I pause, struggling to find a way to ask the question on my mind. "He said that you… you killed his wife. That you watched her die."

My father recoils. "No, I-" he shakes his head again. "No. Viviane and I did not harm Diana. In fact, we tried to save her."

He pauses to collect himself. "She had a disease- a rare one that was passed to her from her mother. She didn't want Desmond to know how dire her situation was, so she never told him. She begged us to keep her secret, and who were we to say no? We set her up with the best physicians in all of Ninjago, but she couldn't be saved." He looks away from me. "We should have told Desmond, then maybe all of this-"

"No," I cut him off. "There's no way you could have known Desmond would do something like this. You were trying to help a friend."

My dad smiles as he meets my eyes again. "That's what Viviane would have said. You are very much like her." He chuckles a little. "She was very prepared to slap me whenever I didn't agree with her logic."

I can't help but smile. "I've been called stubborn on more than one occasion."

"If only she were here. She would love to see how you've turned out," he shakes his head wistfully. "You meant the world to her. She did everything she could to keep you safe, but in the end…" he lets out a breath. "It wasn't enough. It saddens me to think you'll never know what she looks like."

"I do. I, uh, have a picture of her," I say. "Well, Desmond gave it to me when I was a kid. It was… it is my prized possession."

My father's mouth drops slightly in surprise. "But why-" he closes his eyes. "Ah. Your mother was close to his wife. If anything, sentiment kept him from wiping her memory off the earth." His hands clench. "But not enough to spare her life."

"That's why I've come here," I swallow the lump in my throat. "Desmond… he's going to try to destroy Ninjago, and he wants me on his side. He's doing everything he can to make me lose control, and I need the strength to face him. I can make him pay for what he's done to us, to you, to mom. Whatever power you can give me, I can use it to fight him and Hale."

"Hale?" my father's eyes widen. "No, why would Desmond-" His jaw clenches. "He twisted even his child to his cause-"

"His child?"

"Yes, Hale is Desmond's son. He was born just a few months before his mother's death," he glances upward where swirling dust hides the upper rooms. "Viviane cared for both you and him while Desmond mourned." He shakes his head. "Desmond cared for his wife, I never thought he would poison a child like that, especially the last memory of Diana he had."

"I-I didn't know," I struggle to figure out the memories that cloud my head. Hale is Desmond's son? But we weren't raised together. I hardly even remember Hale from my childhood. As far as I knew, he was just another kid from the village, not my brother. No. Not my brother. Just another enemy Desmond had created. Just another person I have to destroy.

"Desmond must be truly lost to his cause," my father shakes his head. "If he is willing to use his own child as a weapon, then there may be no way of saving him."

"That's why I need to destroy him," I say. "Until one of us is wiped from the face of the planet, none of this will ever end. I have to face him."

"Justice is one thing, revenge another," the blond girl's gold eyes bore into mine. She's tiny, young, but the power in her eyes is ancient and commanding. "You have suffered more than anyone alive, but to destroy another human being? Is this really the path you want to take?"

"He killed my parents, let me burn a village to the ground, raised me to be his plaything," my hands tremble as a vicious, angry heat wells up inside. "I can't sleep without being terrified of waking up to my friends burning alive, of being slapped with horrible memories and the screams of the people I've hurt. I've lived my entire life in a brutal lie, and now that I'm finally pulling myself together he wants to take that way. Desmond is no human. He's a monster. He deserves to be destroyed."

"You fear losing control, yet you welcome chaos."

"Stella-"

The girl shoves past my father, and before my eyes she grows older, taller, until she's a powerful, commanding woman. She stares down at me with a blazing gold gaze that pierces my very core, and the heat within me dies.

"To fight Desmond's control over you, you must yourself become incorruptible. To accept our power, you must be a vessel of justice and peace. To guide Ninjago the way your ancestors have done for centuries, you must let go of your grudges and instead find a way to end the war without death. Until you realize that, you are unworthy of our power. You are walking a fine line, Iris. Your familiar has chosen you, but it is worthless if you cannot wield it justly."

"Familiar?" I follow her eyes to the crimson dragon wrapped around my wrist. It purrs and swirls in a tight circle, clutching onto my skin with thin claws and flitting wings.

"Your familiar guides and defines you," Stella holds out her own arm where a gold bird swirls, "To be worthy of its power, you have must destroy what holding you back. Including these naïve ideas of vengeance."

"For as long as we've watched over you, Iris, you've been afraid of your power," my dad says. "In order to control it, you have to trust it. Your fear of losing control is keeping you from gaining control. Your attempts to fight Desmond are only helping his cause."

"But-"

"There are no buts," Stella cuts me off. "You are a ruler of Ninjago, a guide for the people, and right now you need to be at your strongest to stop Desmond."

"Iris, you have to accept your past and forgive yourself for what's happened. Not only that, but forgive us for being helpless to stop it. You must let go of all these pains and embrace who you are and what you will become," my father says. "It's the only way you will ever be able to face Desmond."

I close my eyes and try to forget, to think of what my life will be if I can let everything that's ever happened to me go. But the dark memories fly back in my face, blasting me with the echoes of screams and burning rage. "I don't know if I can," my voice breaks. "This power, I've killed so many people, hurt who knows how many more. What Desmond did… how can I just get over that? What if I hurt someone again? Someone… important to me?"

"Iris, we're not asking you to forget. We are asking you to accept," my dad says. "Think of this: what would have happened if Desmond had never been? Yes, your mother and I would be alive with you, but you may never have met your friends. You may never have become the strong young woman you are. You have dealt with tragedy in an extraordinary way. You cannot let it corrupt you. This power was given to you at birth, and you must embrace it. If you don't, Ninjago is lost. You are special, Iris, much more than any of us. You have a gift that's powerful, even for a monarch. This journey you are taking is not easy, but I know you can make it."

I shake my head. "I- I don't know if I can."

"You must believe in yourself," Stella says. Her shape slowly shrinks until she's the little girl again. She gives me a warm smile, one just a little reminiscent of another child, and the dragon at my arm purrs. I look down at it, locking my eyes with its burning orange irises, and suddenly I find myself making my mind.

I look up at the spirits around me. No, not spirits. My ancestors. "You're right," I step away from the wall. The dragon's wings beat against my skin, radiating a burning resolve that spreads through my entire body. "What Desmond's done has only made me stronger. I won't play into his game. I'm going to get this power and use it to bring him down. The right way. If he wants a fight, he's going to get it, but we're doing this on our terms."

There are a few muttered cheers and scattered claps as my dad breathes a slight sigh of relief. "I'm very proud of you, Iris," he says as the circle closes a little around me. "All of us face challenges, but to choose justice over revenge… That is something not many can do."

"It isn't going to be easy," Stella says. "You've chosen your path, but will you hold true to it when you face the man who nearly destroyed you?"

"I guess we'll just have to find out."

My father closes his eyes. "You are ready to awaken your power, Iris. Now that you have chosen to conquer your fear and walk as a true ruler of Ninjago, you must embrace the power of our lineage. The power given to us by the first Spinjitsu Master. You are ready to accept his gift of power and guide Ninjago to glory."

Stella gives me a soft smile. "Close your eyes, darling."

I do as she says and let my eyelids slide shut. There's a slight hum from all around me as my ancestors begin to mutter something under their breath, an oath in a language I don't understand. My father's voice carries above it all.

"Iris, look deep within you. Feel the power rise inside you and let it free," he says. "Feel with all your heart your mission and your desires for peace."

Behind my eyes, everything I've known these past few months starts to flicker through my mind at blinding speed- training, fighting, my friends, Kai, Jay, Zane, Nya, Sensei, Lloyd, and Cole- all their faces pass by in a heartbeat. All I can think of is protecting them from Desmond, the man who's done everything to destroy my happiness. I can't let him get away with it. I have to stand up to him and show him that I'm not afraid.

"Accept the tragedies of your past. Forgive yourself for the hurt you've caused, realize instead that you can grow and prosper."

Memories of the fire hit me like a brick wall. Of the people I hurt, mutilated, killed. Can I really forgive myself for that? Can I really wish away all the hurt I caused, the damage I've done? This power is a part of me, it always has been. I've grown up, I've realized my mistakes, and I've paid the price for my sins. I can never let myself sink so low again. If I'm going to conquer my fears, I have to accept the memories.

I gasp a little as an unfamiliar heat fills my stomach- warmer, tamer, a blossoming fire that travels though my entire body and fills every crevice with warmth. I feel my core swell as I accept the heat, breathing it in and letting it engulf my senses.

"Our names are what define us, Iris," my father's voice resonates in my head, echoing through every part of conscious until it feels like I'm flying. "As does our power. Feel who you are deep inside, feel your power and your name rise up."

"I am Stella, Queen of Light," Stella's voice peals loud and clear, followed by more voices as all my ancestors join in. Their names jumble together in a staggered chorus, and I struggle to keep up with all of them.

"Oberon, King of Earth."

"Demitria, Queen of Ice."

"Sebastian, King of Weather."

"Willow, Queen of Creatures."

"Lindell, King of Waves," my father declares, continuing the ritual as my ancestors continue to add their names. I can feel his gaze on me as the heat inside me wells up, not trying to escape, but trying to speak, to answer their call. "Who are you?"

I open my eyes to my hands, which are glowing in a golden light like the rest of my body. All I can do is smile as I open my mouth and answer my father.

"I am Ash, Queen of Fire."

The dragon around my arm spirals to my hand and away from my fingertips, coming to life in a burst of fire. Its entire body is covered in flames as it crackles into the air and soars above my head. It lets out a triumphant cry as spreads its wings in a blaze of fire and lights onto my shoulder, coiling around my neck and staring up at me with wise, familiar orange eyes. I reach up with a finger and stroke his head a little, and he lets out a satisfied purr.

"Hello, Spitfire," I greet him, his name sliding off my tongue easily. "It's nice to finally meet you."

My father smiles, looking at me with more pride than I've ever seen. The room feels eerily silent after all of the chanting, but I feel so much more powerful, determined, _in control_.

"Welcome back, Iris," my father says. "Welcome home."

"It's good to be back," I return the smile. Spitfire lets out a satisfied purr and sinks back into the skin of my arm, coiling himself around my wrist and settling down comfortably. He's been with me less than an hour, but I already can't imagine life without the little red dragon.

"Your familiar will continue to be your anchor as your power develops," my father says, smiling softly as he follows my gaze. "Spitfire will give you insight to your emotions and offer his power whenever you call on it. He will be your guide when we are not there."

I frown a little. "You're leaving?"

"For the time being," my father says as he glides back. His shape flickers, and I notice a few of the others in the room have disappeared. "It takes much of our power to manifest, even more to interact with you. But you may still call upon us whenever you need us." His blue-grey eyes bore into mine. "Whenever you need us."

"Oh," I swallow the lump that's suddenly formed in my throat. I start to toy with the bracelet at my wrist, turning it anxiously as Spitfire lets out a whir. My father's eyes fall to my hands, and a little furrow appears between his eyebrows, one I've noticed in myself a couple of times.

"That's an interesting bracelet you have," he says slowly. "Where did you get it?"

My face reddens as I take my hand away from it. The memory of Cole's anxious face when he admitted to making the bracelet for me burns to the front of my mind, and I try not to let it show on my face. "Oh, uh, a friend… made it for me."

Stella lets out a giggle as my father gives me a dubious look. "Ah. I see."

"You should be happy, Lindell," Stella smiles. "The poor girl looks so much like you, I was worried no one would ever find her attractive-"

My father pushes her away. "You forget who you are, Stella."

"You're right. The Mother of All should know better," her smile softens. "And I know desperation when I see it."

My father cringes. "Stella, we talked about this-"

"Go ahead, it's no problem for us," Stella says. She tucks back a few strands of dark hair that have fallen into my father's face, and despite the glaring age difference she seems very much an old, wise mother. "You need it."

There's a few seconds of silence until my father finally lets out a long sigh. "Alright."

Stella gives me a final smile before everyone in the room vanishes, leaving my father and I standing alone. Confused, I open my mouth to ask my dad what's going on, but I realize his shape is changing. Growing brighter, taking a bolder form. His body solidifies until he's standing on solid ground, the faint breeze that whistles through from overhead stirs the dark curls across his forehead, and as I watch he takes one step toward me, then another.

"You're solid," I say bluntly, not knowing what else to say. My father chuckles a little.

"Not for very long. It takes nearly all of our power for one of us to manifest like this," he shakes his head. "I asked them not to do it. It will take us longer to regain our strength. But they insisted I have some time with you."

"Well I appreciate it," my voice is soft. "I really do."

A few seconds of awkward silence passes before my father moves again. Taking one step after another until I suddenly find myself wrapped in his arms. It's not until he whispers "Iris" in my ear that everything comes crashing down on me.

All the memories, the training, the games that Desmond played with me. None of it ever mattered, even remotely compares to the safety, the warmth, the love that I feel right now, wrapped in my father's arms. A sob lurches in my chest as I pull him close to me, burying my face into his shoulder as I take in his smell like parchment, soap, books. A smell I will never forget. He clenches me tight against him, his voice breaking as he whispers my name over and over again, rocking me gently back and forth as all my emotions spill out into his clothes.

"Fates, I missed you so much, Iris," he mutters in a broken voice. "I'm so sorry I couldn't do more, that I couldn't save you and your mother-"

"Don't be," I cough back, fighting to speak through the tears that choke my throat. "It wasn't your fault."

"I know you can do what I couldn't. I know you can save your friends and Ninjago. I know you'll make me proud."

"I will, Dad," I whisper. "I promise. I won't run away anymore."

All too soon, my father pulls away, his eyes ringed with blistering tears. He makes an undignified sniffle and I can't help but laugh through my own snot-filled nose. He chuckles and fixes a strand of hair that's fallen into my face.

"You're strong, Iris. Stronger than any of us," he says softly. "You've grown into a remarkable young woman, even without us. Your mother will be very pleased."

"Tell her I'm okay," I say. "And thank you. If it weren't for her, I might never have come here."

"I'll be sure she knows," he nods. His shape starts to flicker, and a jolt of fear lurches through my heart. "Before I go, Iris, there is one last thing I've been meaning to tell you."

"What?"

He smiles softly. "I love you."

A half-sob, half-laugh bubbles from my lips as I return his smile. "I love you too, Dad."

His smile flickers, then disappears as he vanishes completely, leaving me alone in the still, cold room. Spitfire lets out a dejected whimper as I stare at the space where my father stood, but somehow I manage to take a deep breath and wipe the tears away.

"You heard them, Spitfire. We have to be strong," I sniffle as I try to compose myself. "It's us against the world now."

I glance around the room. "Looks like we're going to have to find a way out of here."

There's a door nearby, buried under a pile of rubble and dead vines and cracked down its side. I approach it carefully, stepping over mounds of broken stone and rotting plants as I attempt to leave the hall. Something glows to life as I near the door.

"Where do you think you're going?"

I blink in surprise. "Stella?"

Her shape is faint, flickering, but the young girl is definitely there. "Who else?"

"But I thought-"

"That we would all be burned out? Yes," her voice is distorted and her figure scrambles like an old tape. "But not everyone is as powerful as I am. I can pull together a few odds and ends to talk to my kin."

Her smile returns. "Did you really think we were going to give you your power and just let you walk out?"

I falter. "What?"

"You still have much to learn, Iris. Unfortunately, most will have to wait until you've faced Desmond and conquered the last part of yourself that fears your power," she answers. "But there are a few things I would like to share with you before you disappear."

"Like what?"

Her grin widens. "How do you feel about heights?"


	11. Acceptance

_Short chapter because I was a little worried about pacing/splitting of this chapter, so this might be combined with a later chapter maybe. Anyway, thank you so much for the fantastic reviews and all the reads! It's lovely knowing you are taking your valuable time reading/keeping up with this monster XD_

_- Fell_and_Fallen -_

* * *

_"__Oof!"_

_The swing of Kai's sword topples Jay to the floor with a heavy thunk. The blue ninja hits face first and doesn't move. _

_Kai raises his sparring helmet. "Jay, you alright?" _

_ "__I'm so tired!" the blue ninja answers, his voice muffled with his face pressed into the floorboards. "We've been training nonstop for almost a week and for what? So we can drive ourselves into the ground?"_

_ "__Jay, you heard what Sensei said. We need to be prepared for whatever move Desmond makes," Kai says. "And it's not like we have anything else to do now that Ash is gone."_

_ "__Except sulk, apparently," Jay lifts his head to look at the door leading below decks. "Cole's still not up yet?"_

_ "__He was training alone again last night," Zane says as he neatly finishes a granola bar. He brushes some light crumbs from his robe. "For a little longer than usual. My guess is that he is still asleep."_

_ "__Ugh, it's like someone took the air out of his balloon," Jay grumbles, tucking his arms under his face. "I hope Ash gets back soon. Maybe then I can finally take a nap."_

_ "__Perhaps we don't have to wait much longer."_

_ "__What makes you say that, Zane?"_

_The white ninja slowly points up into the sky where a bright red light flares to life. It starts as just a crimson pinprick against the clouds, but quickly grows as it approaches._

_ "__What is that?" Jay asks as he scrambles to his feet. "Think it's Desmond?"_

_ "__I don't want to wait to find out," Kai says as he raises his sword. The others draw their weapons as the light closes in._

_A dark shape flickers in the center, and as it crashes into the ship the three ninja are blown backward in a blaze of heat and light. Zane recovers first, sending a shuriken flying into the light only to have it sent flying back. Kai blinks as his vision adjusts to the glaring red light and the figure standing within it._

_ "__Ash?"_

I smile as the three ninja stare at me with slack jaws and wide eyes. Their weapons are still aimed at my face, so I keep my arms raised. "Hey guys. Mind putting the weapons down?"

Their arms drop, and I finally let the fire around me die.

"What was that?" Kai asks as they approach. "Did you just-"

"Fly?" I answer. "Yeah. I'm still getting used to it." My legs still feel like jello from the long trip staring at the ground so far below, but at least I haven't thrown up yet.

"I take it you succeeded in receiving the power you sought?"

I return Zane's knowing smile. "Yeah. I can't wait to tell you all about it-"

"Is that a tattoo?"

Jay grabs my arm and stares open-mouthed at Spitfire, who's safe at home on my skin. He looks a little miffed at being called a tattoo and swirls a little angrily around my wrist. Jay drops my arm like a hot pan.

"Not exactly," I laugh. I glance around the deck. "Where's Cole?"

"Ash?"

We look up to see Cole emerging onto the deck, pulling on his gloves and looking more than a little shocked at my sudden appearance. His eyelids are purple and puffy, looking all too much like my own have over the past couple of weeks. Has he not slept since I left? My stomach twists with the realization, and I cringe at the unfamiliar feeling. I thought I'd been making the right decision, but from the looks of it, I hurt him much more than he had let on.

Cole lowers his hands and grimaces, clearly uncomfortable at my presence. I approach carefully, watching his muscles tense as if he's ready to run back below deck.

I expect him to be angry, or to demand about my powers, but instead he says, "Look, I need to apologize."

I shake my head. "No, you don't."

"Yeah, I do," his face twists and the memory of our last conversation passes between us. "What I said-"

"Stop."

"No, you made the right choice-"

"Cole-"

"I'm trying to apologize-"

Before my brain can even comprehend what I'm doing, I reach out, grab the front of Cole's gear, and pull his face down to mine, drowning whatever he was going to say as my lips meet his. Cole tugs back in surprise, nearly pulling us apart before he realizes what's going on and settles against me. My heart thuds in my chest loud enough to drown out every other sound and thought as his hands move from the air and to my body, where he gently pulls me against him. Someone coughs lightly behind us, and I pull away with my face screaming with heat that has nothing to do with my power.

We look up as Kai stifles another theatrical cough and instead gives us a sly smile. "So I guess the two of you have, uh… made up?"

"Made out, more like it," Jay chuckles with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Cole and I hurriedly detach from each other. I shove my hair out of my face and try to calm the raging blood flow to my face. "Yeah, um," I shake my head. "Uh, what were we talking about?"

A smile touches even Zane's lips. "You were going to tell us about your power?"

"Oh, uh, right," I cough and wipe at my mouth, which still burns with the imprint of Cole's. I can't even look in his direction as he shuffles awkwardly next to me. "Uh, where are the others? I'm sure Sensei will want to hear this too."

"Nya and Lloyd are out on a supply run," Zane answers. "Sensei was meditating, I believe."

Jay glances at his watch. "Which means he'll be here in about five, four, three, two, one-"

"Ash, I see you have returned."

Sensei emerges from the bowels of the ship right on cue, pouring himself a cup of tea as he climbs the steps. Spitfire lets out a happy whir at the familiar smell, and Jay takes a cautious step back with a look at the swirling dragon. I stifle a laugh.

"I trust your journey was fruitful?" Sensei asks just as he catches sight of Spitfire. He lowers the tea cup from his lips. "Oh my."

"Don't worry, he's harmless," I say as Spitfire puffs a cloud of smoke.

"Forgive my surprise, but it's been a very long time since I've seen a ruler's familiar," Sensei shakes his head and finishes his sip.

"You know about them?"

"Yes. Your father's was rather vicious. It snapped at me more often than I would have liked," Sensei shudders a little at the memory. "Then again, it may have been because I spilled tea on his arm once."

Spitfire hums a little, his scales rattling against my skin. I wonder if he's actually offended by the thought of having tea spilled on him.

"We should sit and talk," Sensei says as he starts to lead us to the dining room. "I'm sure you have many interesting stories to tell, and Nya and Lloyd will want to hear about it as soon as they arrive."

"Maybe we can finally crack out the dinner Zane has been promising us all week," Jay narrows his eyes at the white ninja.

"I was waiting until you came back before we used up all of the ingredients," Zane explains to me. "It took me a while to perfect the recipe-"

"Maybe I could make something," Cole says, and the redness in my face rages to life again. "I have a couple of recipes I've been waiting to try, and I'm sure you'd love to-"

"No, that's fine," I say hurriedly. "I mean, if Zane's been waiting so long to make something. We wouldn't want to cheat him out of that, right?"

"But-"

"There will be cake," Zane says. A little flare of panic also sparks in his eyes before the black ninja finally submits.

"Well, when you put it that way…"

"Good," Kai nods. "So it's settled. Tonight, we finally get to relax."

"Yeah," I smile. The memory of my ancestors' dark words flickers through my mind, but I push it aside. I can worry about Desmond tomorrow. For now all I need to focus on is being with my friends.

As we enter the dining room, I sneak a glance at Cole, who hurriedly looks away. I can't help but smile a little as Spitfire hums pleasantly on my wrists and something flips in my stomach. Yeah, Desmond can definitely wait.

* * *

"You're back!"

I'm nearly knocked out of my seat as Lloyd tackles me in a hug, leaving Nya to drag in the rest of the groceries by herself. I can't help but smile as I return the hug and gently pry him off me.

"Yeah," I laugh as I smooth down a few wild strands of his white-blond hair. "Just a while ago, actually."

"It's great you guys are finally back," Cole says. "I'm ready for cake!"

I elbow him. "Cole, you realize none of us have eaten dinner yet."

He returns the gesture with an even harder shove. "I haven't had cake in nearly two weeks!"

"It'll be longer if I have to separate you two," Zane narrows his eyes as he finishes preparing dinner. Cole and I exchange startled glances, but back off.

"So I, uh, don't like to give stuff to girls," Lloyd pipes up as he scuffs a toe against the floorboards. "But I wanted to get you something for being so nice to me. And as an apology for sabotaging your flat iron and telling you it was Nya."

"I still don't know how I fell for that," I shake my head as Nya laughs and takes a seat. "Your hair is already straight."

Lloyd reaches into his pocket and holds something out to me. I take it, realizing with a start it's a lollipop. One of the more extravagant ones with chocolate in the center. The kid gives me a smile.

"Zane mentioned you were obsessed with chocolate."

"Obsessed?" I squint my eyes at the white ninja.

"Hey, you were the one who ate an entire tub of chocolate ice cream in one sitting," Cole shrugs.

"Says the guy who shovels down cake like it's oxygen," I shake my head and turn my smile on Lloyd. "Thanks, kiddo. This means a lot. And, uh, no harm no foul on the flat iron thing, alright? I needed a new one anyway."

Lloyd returns my smile and takes his seat as Zane finally passes out food. For a few seconds, the only sounds are appreciative grunts and chewing as we take in Zane's spectacular cooking, but after the commotion has died down Sensei speaks.

"So Ash, tell us what you found."

I look up from my mouthful of potatoes and try to swallow it in a dignified way. "Well, it wasn't easy getting there, that's for sure," I blink and the memories of stumbling down hills and through thorn bushes flies to the front of my mind. "And honestly, your maps weren't that helpful once I actually reached the forest, but I managed to find it anyway. After I, uh, fell through the floor, I found my ancestor's Sanctuary, which is where I got Spitfire."

I raise my arm as Spitfire huffs a contented cloud of smoke. Nya and Lloyd's eyes widen as they take in the dragon for the first time.

"That's so cool," Lloyd says as he reaches out and pokes Spitfire's tail. The dragon flicks a forked tongue at the kid, but doesn't snap the way Sensei had described my father's.

"My dad was there along with the rest of my ancestors," I pause and set down my fork. "He, uh, told me the truth. Desmond's wife died of a rare disease and she didn't want him to know about it. My parents tried to help her, but she couldn't be saved. When she died, he just kind of lost it. He ran off and my mom was left to take care of two kids-"

"Two kids?" Kai looks up from his plate. "I thought you were an only child."

"I am," I answer. "It's just… before she died, Desmond's wife had a child. Hale."

"Hale is Desmond's son?"

I nod.

"That's just… weird," Jay shakes his head. "So what? He just left his kid at some creepy day care and decided to raise you instead?"

I cringe. "I know, it's awful to think about, and honestly I've tried to forget it."

"And I thought he was messed up enough already," Cole shakes his head. "He definitely needs to get what's coming to him."

"When we get our hands on him, he'll pay for everything he did to you and your parents, Ash," Kai says.

My hands tighten as Stella's words echo in my head. "No."

"What?"

"We have to bring down Desmond, but we won't destroy him," I say.

Cole looks exasperated. "Not this again. You want to wait?"

"No, we have to do the right thing," I press. "Meeting my ancestors did more than just give me power. They opened my eyes. Right now we're blinded by revenge and hate and want to rip him apart for everything he's done. We would kill him for the same reason he killed my parents. For revenge. We can't stoop to his level."

"What are you saying, Ash?" Jay asks. "That we just let him go?"

"Honestly, I don't know," I shake my head. "But we can't destroy him. As much as I want to make him pay for what he did, I can't become him. We have to end the cycle somehow."

"You are making a powerful decision," Sensei says as he takes a long drag of tea. "One that will certainly alter your future one way or the other. Are you sure that this is the path you want to take?"

I nod. "I had a long talk with my father, and I promised him I would embrace myself for what I am. Not only my power, but my responsibilities as the guide for Ninjago your father created us to be. I'm supposed to stand for justice and peace. Killing Desmond would make me no better than he is. We'll bring him to justice, but we're going to do it the right way."

I pick up my fork again. "So that's where I stand. I'm not asking all of you to agree with it, but-"

"Hey, I'm done doubting you," Cole smiles. My mouth suddenly goes dry. "I think I speak for everyone when I say we have your back, whatever you decide."

"Hear, hear!"

"That means a lot," I smile. "Really. I honestly don't know what I've done to deserve all of you."

"You got Zane to make cake," Cole shrugs, and I elbow him hard enough to make him wince.

"You're lucky I like you," I laugh as the clatter of dinner starts again.

I laugh and smile with my friends as the night goes on. No, my family. After so many years of fearing my power, of being hated, of pushing people away, it's hard to believe I'm surrounded by such wonderful people. Not only that, but they accept me exactly for who I am, even before I did.

Spitfire whirls happily on my wrist as the night drags on, and for the first time in forever I finally feel…

Happy.


	12. Up in the Air, Crashing to Earth

_Hello again! Kind of short chapter this time, but some pretty good story-info going on. Anyway, to answer my Guest's question: a familiar is, in this story, an animal spirit that embodies a ruler's power. Ash's happens to be Spitfire, who basically looks like your run of the mill dragon, just more slender and not as huge. Also, I wanted to thank all you lovely people for the reads and reviews :D Super duper special thanks to CuteBlueCherri and ForestBornNinjaGirl for being such wonderful, consistent readers who've been with me since the beginning. Seriously, it's enormously appreciated, like I can't even express the gratitude in words._

_Anyway, I'll let you get to reading XD_

_- Fell_and_Fallen -_

* * *

I'm swallowing the last bit of a waffle when Nya approaches me, her usual smile on her face.

"Morning, sunshine. How are you?"

"I forgot how good fresh breakfast tasted," I smile back. "Granola bars and dried fruit only go so far."

"I would've packed you something better, but Sensei insisted you have food that would actually sustain you," she shrugs.

I roll my eyes. "Sustainability does not equal happiness. I could've gone a lot longer on a plate of cookies."

She laughs. "Well, now that you're full of sweets, maybe you could come and help me and Jay out?"

"With what, exactly?"

"While you were gone, we figured out that there's something wrong with the combustion engine. Basically there's not enough heat to power the ship," she explains. "Kai tried powering it, but there still wasn't enough heat. So we thought…"

"That I could," I finish and she nods.

"At least between the two of you. I finally got my brother out of bed, so we were hoping you could join us."

"Absolutely," I get to my feet. "I'd be happy to help, especially if it means we finally get somewhere."

"Good," Nya smiles. "Right this way."

We head deep into the bowls of the ship, past Zane's meditation spot and into a room full of whirring machinery and creaking parts. Jay and Kai chat idly as we enter, and the blue ninja automatically straightens up as Nya approaches.

"How's it going?" Nya asks.

"Well, now that I got into the lower hatch of the engine, I've managed to hook us into the inner core of the burner," Jay answers. "Once you two light up, we'll have enough heat to shoot us into the sky."

I cringe. "Sounds dangerous."

"Don't worry, I already did all the calculations," Jay says. "We should be okay as long as the burner isn't too cold and decides to explode, or that your power is more than I calculated, or something knocks loose and sets the ship on fire-"

"Jay."

"But it's totally safe," the blue ninja says hurriedly, giving Nya a sheepish smile. "Do you know anyone better with tech than me?"

Her mouth twitches imperceptibly, but she says nothing as Jay moves to open the hatch to a large, dumpster-looking machine. The inside is black and lined with greasy soot that Jay hastily scrapes out.

"Just a precaution," Jay chuckles nervously as he pulls on a pair of goggles and hands another few pairs to us.

We pull them on as he picks up a tablet and hands it to Nya. "I'm going to be trying to start the engine while they're pumping fire into it, so I need you to watch the temperature and make sure it doesn't get too high," he says. "Can you do that?"

Her eyes twitch, and I can tell she's trying not to roll them. "Yep. Just do what you need to."

"Alright," Jay steps back with a nervous smile and turns to me and Kai. "You two just aim for the hatch and give as much fire as you have. Just careful you don't go overboard." He laughs nervously. "Or the engine will explode and we'll be bacon, and as much as I love bacon I'm not ready to be bacon."

"Point made," I nod and take a calming breath. "So when do we start?"

The blue ninja hurries over to a panel of switches on the wall and quickly turns a few of them on. Something lurches within the machine.

"Alright, looks like we're all set," he waves me and Kai forward. "Engine Revival: Attempt One is a go."

"You ready, Ash?" Kai asks as he brandishes his gleaming sword toward the open hatch of the engine.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I grimace as I raise my arms and try to steady the slight tremble in my fingertips. Spitfire whirls tight around my wrist, brushing my skin with the comforting warmth of his claws. I take another deep breath. "Let's go."

Jay gives us a glance and flips another switch. "Okay then," he still sounds nervous. "Ready… Set… Go!"

Fire explodes from me and Kai, merging in a multicolor stream of flame that rushes into the engine. Kai grunts and I take a staggering step back, digging my toes harder into the ground as I concentrate on the hatch before us. Spitfire coils happily around my arm, excited to share some of his power, even for a trivial purpose.

Something clicks over the roar of fire and the ground lurches underneath our feet. I nearly topple over into Kai but manage to regain my balance before I crash to the ground. Jay makes a noise that sounds a lot like a mad scientist, but it's drowned out by a loud groan of wood as the ship rises out of its rut and into the air. There's another sound and a rush of hot air blows into our faces. Nya yells at us to stop and Kai and I finally let the flames die.

The engine thrums healthily and the quietness is almost deafening after what's just happened. I remove my goggles and wipe my forehead free of sweat.

"Well that was exciting," I let out a breath, but catch it again as I choke a laugh at Jay's windblown hair. He gives me a little annoyed look as Kai bursts out laughing.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad!" Jay struggles to smooth down the wild tangles in his hair.

"Actually I think it looks cool," Nya muses as she lifts her goggles. "I don't know, it's more… wild."

Jay blushes but stops messing with his hair, and Kai rolls his eyes from beside me.

Something clatters overhead and the intercom comes to life with the grating sound of static, making us all cringe. Another scatter later and Lloyd's voice screeches in.

"Hey, uh, Nya? The computer's doing things."

What kind of things?"

"It's blinking a lot," the kid answers. The glaring sound's subsided, and his voice is comfortable to listen to now. "And uh, it keeps showing things on the map. I think that's a tree… No, maybe a telephone pole…"

Nya lets out a gasp. "That must be the alert system," her auburn eyes widen. "Lloyd, get Sensei!"

"Uh, okay."

"What is it?" Kai asks as his sister drops the tablet and starts to push out of the room. We follow closely, wobbling a little from the now unfamiliar lurch of the airship.

"After Desmond got into your head with all those spells, Sensei and I set up a system that could track that type of magic," Nya explains as we head for the control room. "In high enough levels, the computer could pick it up and tell us where it's coming from."

"So you found a way to track Desmond?"

"Maybe," she frowns as she throws open the door.

Sensei stands inside with his nephew, staring at the bright computer screen as it flashes and warps. Nya heads straight for the keyboard and starts typing, frantically hitting keys as the screen gradually starts to diminish.

"It looks like it found something," Nya says. "But it's confused. The sensors are overloaded."

"What does that mean?" Lloyd asks, looking between Nya and his uncle.

"It means whatever's setting off the alert is big," Nya answers grimly. "Really big."

"Do you think it's him?" my voice wavers and I cough to clear it up.

"I don't know."

The door opens and Cole and Zane enter, looking a little frantic.

"What's going on?" the black ninja asks. "We saw you running."

My hands shake despite myself. "It's Desmond. Nya might have found him."

"What?"

Nya lets out a frustrated growl. "I can't narrow down the area. The signal's too big. All I can tell is it's close. Well, sort of." She sighs. "It's at least in this part of Ninjago."

"All that's here are trees and tiny villages," Zane says. "Why would he be here?"

"Desmond has a plan, one we have been unable to understand so far," Sensei says slowly. "He must know we would be trying to track him. Whatever this is, he is doing it deliberately."

"So what do we do?" Jay asks. "What if it's a trap?"

"Sensei, we don't even know where he is," Kai says. "Even if we wanted to do something, we couldn't."

Sensei's dark eyes turn to me. "Everything Desmond has done so far has been to make you lose control. He must be trying to do that now as well."

I shake my head. "But that doesn't make sense. He must realize I'm in control now. If he's going to end this, then why not go after Ninjago City? There's nothing for him here-"

The words die in my throat.

"What is it?"

"Arashi."

"What?"

I can hardly force the sound from my mouth. "Arashi. The village where I grew up. It's… it's near here."

The air in the room drops.

Nya steps back from the computer. "He wouldn't."

"It makes sense," I swallow the sandpaper in my throat. "What better way to throw me out of control than to take me back where it all started, where I-"

The dark memories hit me like a tsunami, filling my head with the screams of all the people I hurt, of the sound of the roaring flames, of my own laughter as I watched them all burn. I try to shake them off as Spitfire's grip tightens around my wrist.

"We can't go back there," Cole shakes his head. "Not if it means reliving those memories."

"What else are we supposed to do?" I turn to him. "I can't just stand back and watch those people get hurt again. We have to do something!"

"This will be extremely dangerous," Sensei says. "As I said before, Desmond's plan is very elaborate. This is most likely a trap."

I shake my head. "I told you already, I've accepted what I am. I couldn't protect my village before, but now that I have the chance to redeem myself, to stop them from being hurt again," I look up into his dark eyes. "I can't walk away from that. Even if it means putting myself in danger."

"Whatever Desmond's planning, it's going to be a show-stopper," Kai says. "Are you sure you want to do this, Ash?"

"I don't have a choice."

"Then we're going with you," Cole says. "If you're going to face Desmond and Hale, you're not doing it alone. And we sure as hell aren't going to let them get to you."

I can't help a small smile. "I appreciate it."

"Then it is settled," Sensei takes his walking stick in his hands. "Nya, set a course for the village of Arashi."

His eyes turn to the rest of us. "It will take some time for us to get there. I suggest you each use this time to prepare yourselves and be ready for whatever Desmond has in store. I have the dark feeling that Ash will need all of our strength come tomorrow."

"Thank you, Sensei," I say. "Seriously."

My heart pounds a million times a second, rattling my thoughts with all the memories, the emotions, the darkness that comes with every moment I think of the man who destroyed my life. All these years of training, lies, of running away- they've all led up to this. To facing him.

But do I even have the strength to do it? To end this the way I should? To really become the ruler I was born to be? Desmond surely chose the right place for our final battle. Even after receiving my power, the memories are strong enough to make me nauseous, to make me question myself. Can I really hold onto my ideals when I see those buildings, the remnants of the village I destroyed?

_You have to_ my voice whispers to myself as I face my friends, the people so willing to go to battle with me. _You just have to_.


	13. Calm Before The Storm

_I actually finished this one early this time! XD Things are moving along pretty well, but this chapter is kind of an interlude/fluffier part for when things really pick up later. Thanks again for all the reads/reviews, they're really really really appreciated, and I hope you enjoy!_

_- Fell_and_Fallen -_

* * *

I sit on the side of the ship, my legs between the railings and swinging over the side. I rest my head on the railing and take a deep breath. Even my thoughts swirl tiredly in my head, merging together like a murky stream. It's been a long day, one that seemed to last forever as we creep closer to our destination. The ninja ended their half-hearted training at least an hour early, leaving me to deal with my thoughts alone. Just thinking of where we're heading makes my stomach clench and even so late at night, I still haven't been able to force myself to go to bed. I close my eyes as I take in the chilly night air and try to fall asleep.

"I thought you'd be up."

I pry open my eyelids and watch as Cole approaches. "Not by choice."

He smiles softly and takes a seat beside me. "I brought you something."

"Really?" I lift my head as he pulls something from behind his back. My eyes widen as I realize it's a piece of chocolate cake. My eyes flick back up to Cole's. "Did you make that yourself?"

He snorts. "What, and ruin it?" he shakes his head. "There are things even I can't do. Making a fantastic cake is one of them. Zane had some extra and I asked if I could have some."

"You didn't get any for yourself?" I ask with a smile. "Cole, that's so sweet-"

He laughs. "You think I just got this piece? What do you think happened to the rest of the cake?"

I hit him in the arm. "Jerk. I thought you actually did something nice."

"Hey, I saved a piece for you."

I roll my eyes, but take the plate. "Well, thanks."

"You're welcome."

I start to munch on the cake, realizing with the first bite how little I've actually eaten today. Dinner had been mostly tiny bites of everything as I'd fought the anxiety that broiled my stomach, but now I'm barely pausing between bites of cake to breathe.

Cole watches me with an amused expression. "You're eating that almost as fast as I did."

"Except I'm eating a single piece like a normal human being," I grumble back through a mouthful of chocolate. I swallow it, savoring the taste of Zane's fluffy mix. "Unlike you."

He rolls his eyes before settling them back on mine. His expression softens as I take another bite of cake. I lift my head and he traces the very edge of my lip with one finger, wiping away a line of excess frosting before he tastes it and smiles.

"That's really good," he grins before giving me a wink. "Does the rest taste like that?"

"I don't know, you ate the rest of it yourself."

"That's not what I meant," he laughs. The plate drops in my hands.

"Oh," I blink. "_Oh_."

Cole laughs even louder as I let my head rest against the railing again.

"Ugh, I'm such an idiot," I groan.

"Only a little," he chuckles and shifts my screen of hair to look at my face. "Come on, Ash, you have to admit that was funny."

"Sure, laugh at my expense," I roll my eyes but chuckle despite myself. "But yeah. That was… funny."

The smile fades from his face. "What's up? You still worried about tomorrow?"

"Well, yes, but," I look back up at him, "I guess I'm just not used to… this."

"This?"

"Yeah, this whole," I gesture between me and him. "Thing."

He raises a thick, dark eyebrow. "Flirting?"

"It's just… unfamiliar."

"You're the one who kissed me, remember?"

My face flames. "That was kind of a heat of the moment decision," I say, picking at some of the crumbs on my plate.

"What, do you regret it?"

"No!" I say too quickly. I cough and try to calm the raging in my cheeks. "I like you, Cole, I really do. I've just been pushing people away for so long, this is…. strange. The whole thing. It's just… it's something I have to get used to."

"I understand," Cole says and rests his hands in his lap. "I didn't mean to-"

"Please don't apologize," I shake my head. "I didn't mean to make this all awkward, really. I'm just-"

"You're heading into something big, Ash, and you've got to get your priorities straight," he says. "I totally understand. Maybe after all of this is over, we can sort out the confusion that is-" he smiles and gestures between me and him- "this."

I can't help but laugh as the tension finally breaks. "That sounds good," I nod and return the smile. "Really good."

I blink up at Cole's face as I notice a dark line on his complexion. "You have an eyelash on your face."

"What?"

"Just hold still," I say as I put my plate aside and reach up toward his face.

He flinches. "Ow, you poked me in the eye!"

I frown at him. "No, I didn't-"

"Ow!"

"Cole-"

"You pinched me, what was I supposed to do?"

"Maybe if you held still-"

"Ash!"

"There!" I pinch the offending eyelash between my fingertips as Cole rubs at his eye. I hold it out to him. "Now make a wish."

He raises an eyebrow. "You don't actually believe in that, do you?"

"You're talking to the girl with a magical dragon tattoo," I roll my eyes. "Humor me."

He lets out an exasperated sigh but finally closes his eyes for a few seconds and blows the eyelash from my finger. He opens his eyes again. "There. Happy?"

"Yes," I smile as I turn back to the open sky. My stomach still churns at the thought of falling, but Spitfire's reassuring warmth beside me and the memory of the long but successful flight home keeps me from leaving. I rest my arms back on the side of the ship.

"You're not even going to ask what I wished for?"

I look back up at Cole. "That's breaking the rules," I say. "If you tell me, it won't come true."

He laughs. "You take this really seriously, don't you?"

"I'm not one to mess with the potential wrath of the universe," I narrow my eyes at him. "And neither should you."

"Alright," he shakes his head and leans back on his hands.

We sit for a few seconds in silence, long enough for the doubts to return and clench at my stomach. I clench and unclench my hands a little, trying to work out the tension, and Cole notes the movement with worried eyes.

"About tomorrow-"

"I know, I know," I let out a heavy breath. "We'll be fine, I shouldn't be worried-"

"That's not what I was going to say."

"Oh."

He leans forward. "I know you're scared. Hell, we all are. Whatever happens tomorrow… I don't want it to change you. You want to kill Desmond? Alright, the bastard deserves it-"

"Cole-"

"I'm not finished," he gives me a pointed look. "I heard what you said, and I'm with you 100% however you bring him down. Just… be sure of yourself, alright? Whatever decision you make is going to be the right one, you just have to trust that."

"I just wish I knew what I was getting into," I shake my head. "Desmond's been calling the shots for years. We're walking right into one of his plans and there's nothing we can do but hope we can deal with whatever he throws at us. We're jumping into the pit with broken flashlights. Sorry if I'm not overwhelmed with confidence."

"That's not what I'm saying," Cole reaches out to gently touch my arm. He hesitates, expecting a recoil, but the fire inside of me is calm as he lets his palm rest against my skin. He turns me to face him. "You're strong, Ash. Probably stronger than me. Even if this is all part of Desmond's plan, even if everything goes to hell tomorrow, you can get through this. You just have to trust yourself and trust us to have your back."

I turn back to the sky, to the clouds that stir at our feet, and dig into the thing that sits like a rock in my pocket. I pull it out with the clatter of a chain and hold the sun pendant out before me, the necklace Desmond used to wear, the one Hale gave me to prove he was alive. I'd taken it off the second all this madness started, but I hadn't had the gall to get rid of it. But now, my hand clenches tightly around it as the horrible memories stir in the back of my mind, kindling a dark rage that smolders in the pit stomach.

"He's the one who made me so strong," I say in a quiet voice. "If it weren't for him I wouldn't even exist. He could've killed me so easily, but he kept me alive all these years to create the perfect tool for revenge. He knows my weaknesses, he knows exactly what buttons to push to make me lose control. He knows everything about me and my past, Cole, more than I do. How am I supposed to stand up to him?"

"You'll find a way, Ash, I know you will," he reassures me. "Desmond might've been the guy who raised you, but he has no power over you. You've proven that."

"I've tried," I whisper as I let the chain slip through my fingers and spiral into the clouds below. I watch it go with a heavy stone in my stomach, feeling it lift if only a little bit as the cursed necklace disappears forever.

Cole pulls me toward him as I wipe at my blurring eyes. I fall against him without a fight.

"You'll make the right decision, Ash," he says into my ear. "We'll be fine."

I make an undignified noise as I try to choke back a hysterical laugh. "Yeah, either we win or die," I shake my head and jostle my face against his shoulder.

"We've faced worse odds," I can feel him smile against my forehead, and this time I can't hold back a laugh.

"You're surprisingly optimistic," I smile as I look up at him.

"Well, someone's got to make you feel better," he smiles back. "And I don't see anyone else around, so…"

"You did bring me cake," I glance at the empty plate. "Even if you did eat the rest of it."

"We're still on that?"

I shove him. "You're lucky I like you."

His gaze softens as his arm settles back around my shoulders. "I know."

My heart thuds in my chest as he leans into me and presses his lips against mine. My insides practically melt as he pulls me closer, running his hands through my hair as my grip tightens on him. This feels different than the last time we kissed, less hurried, deeper. Cole's mouth is comfortably firm against mine, and I'm overwhelmed by his scent, warm, earthy, strong. He pulls me tightly against him, drowning every other thought until I can feel is this moment surrounded by him. My hands clench in his hair, smooth and softer than I expected. His arms are firm, but gentle around me as he holds me close, pressing me even tighter against him. His long eyelashes brush against my cheeks like lightning as he shifts and pulls away, leaving my face and lips burning with a different sort of fire, but he doesn't let me go.

"We'll be fine, Ash," he whispers as he lets his forehead rest against mine. "I'm sure of it."

"I hope so," I turn back to the open sky and let the cool air calm my raging face and the tumultuous thoughts that start crashing in my mind again, no less chaotic after mine and Cole's break. "I hope so."


	14. Puppet Strings

_Ahhh I loved writing this chapter so much XD Lot of crazy stuff's happening, but don't worry, it's still not the end. Don't be afraid to drop a review to tell me what you think, especially with all these changes to the original story, plus I'm always looking for new ideas! _

_Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy :)_

_- Fell_and_Fallen -_

* * *

"So this is where you grew up," Jay whistles appreciatively at the sprawling forest below us. "Big place."

"Arashi is just a tiny town compared to the forest," my eyes flick over the sorely familiar trees, stirring bittersweet memories I've tried to forget. "It's easy to miss if you aren't looking."

"It's cool to see so many trees," the blue ninja turns to take it all in. "Where I grew up, all I ever saw were mountains of junk and sand."

"It's a beautiful place," a wistful smile quirks my lips. "It was hard to leave."

"Well now you get to go back, right?" his head cocks slightly to the left and a couple of auburn curls stick to his face. "That must be exciting."

"I wish it were for different reasons."

"Hey, you're going to take down the guy that destroyed everything in the first place," he gives me a reassuring grin. "That's something, right?"

"Yeah," I nod, but the word is numb on my lips. The grim anticipation in my chest swells, and I swallow it carefully. "You're pretty optimistic facing potential death."

"Someone has to keep us pepped, right?" Jay smiles. "Who else is going to it? Zane?"

Sensei emerges from the control room just then, saving me from Jay's almost ridiculous optimism. The grim look he's had since last night hasn't disappeared and closely mirrors my own.

"We will soon arrive at the village," he reports as he joins us at the railing. His weathered hands are curled tightly around his walking stick, tense and betraying his otherwise calm demeanor. "From here on out, we must be prepared for anything."

"I'm tired of waiting," my hands clench tight on the smooth wood under my fingers. Spitfire follows the movement with an anxious hum, his claws tightening against my wrist with pinpricks of heat. My stomach growls loudly, but not from hunger. "I'm just making myself sick."

"I'm with Ash. Why hasn't he made a move yet?" Kai says, his hair stirring in the wind that whips past the ship. His gaze is focused intently on the forest below us, scrutinizing every tree as if Desmond will suddenly leap out from behind one. "Something about this doesn't feel right. At all. It's too… quiet."

"Desmond wanted us to come. He knows we're prepared. He knows what power I have," my jaw shifts. "What is he trying to play?"

The Bounty suddenly lurches under our feet, plummeting a stomach-lurching ten feet before restabilizing. I keep my death grip on the railing as it wavers again, but thankfully doesn't drop.

"What's going on?" Kai asks as an alarm blares to life from somewhere.

"Something's hacking into the flight systems!" Nya shouts from the intercom. Her voice is nearly lost in hissing static, and I can hear Lloyd yelling something in the background. "I'm trying to keep them out, but-"

The ship drops again and I'm nearly flung overboard. My hair flies wildly into my face, whipping at my eyes as I struggle to make sense of the world that plummets around me. Someone grabs onto me, Zane I realize, and tugs me down to the floor for balance. I clench my eyes shut as the Bounty lurches with the crack of wood and gears, wobbling sickeningly from side to side before finally correcting and slowing to a snail's pace. When I look back over the railing, I'm staring at the tree line.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Jay moans from beside me, looking as green as the leaves just below us.

"There's something moving down there," Cole says as he gets to his feet and peers over the railing. "I can't see it-"

He staggers back with a shout as something flies from the forest and snatches at the wood. Something cracks and splinters scatter everywhere, cutting at my face and hands as the rest of us stagger back. With some distance, we get a better look at the foreign object, gleaming silver from where it's nearly torn apart the side of the ship.

"Is that a grappling hook?"

Just as Kai asks the question on all our minds, another dozen rip through the treeline and smash into the ship, grabbing hold of every exposed part of the railing and digging deep into the wood. We condense together at the center of the deck, staring wildly at the sudden chaos that surrounds us.

"… lot of readings… something's… careful…"

Nya's voice fades in and out of hissing static before going completely dead. My throat chokes with fear as something lurches down below, scratching against the side of the ship. The ninja draw their weapons.

"Someone needs to check on Nya and Lloyd," Cole says, his eyes darting between every sound.

"I will go. Be careful, all of you," Sensei warns as he backs toward the control room, holding his staff at the ready before disappearing inside. My hands clench and I just hope Nya and Lloyd are alright. If anything happens to them…

Something lurches over the railing, a dark shape that grasps at the ship before pulling itself onto the deck. It stands and faces us with dead grey eyes.

"What the hell-"

The ship creaks as another dozen figures appear, pausing by the railing and staring at us with the same flat gaze. I take a staggering step back, bumping into Zane who jerks and nearly slices at me with a shuriken.

"They're people," Kai says, his eyes flying from one figure to the next. He's right. They're human. Dressed in casual clothes and looking like anyone else you'd find on the street, but those eyes… Those dead grey eyes…

"It's Desmond," my mouth sticks as it suddenly goes dry. "It has to be."

"Are they zombies?" Jay shudders against me. "I hate zombies."

"He must be controlling them," Zane says, his voice still but anxious. "The same way Hale did you."

My stomach heaves. "Oh god-"

Cole's hand finds my shoulder. "Don't think about it. We just have to find a solution."

"We can't fight them," Kai shakes his head. "He knows we can't."

One of the people lurches toward us, a woman wearing slacks and a top smeared with dirt. The others begin to close in as well, moving toward us at an agonizingly slow speed. We close even tighter together.

I raise my arms, but they shake almost convulsively. I bite down on my lip. "What are we supposed to do?"

"We have to hold them off," Cole grits his teeth. "They'll kill us otherwise."

"But where are Desmond and Hale?" Zane asks. "They must be nearby."

"You're not going anywhere."

The woman smiles eerily, staring straight into my eyes with her flat gaze. I press even farther back, trying to distance myself from her terrifying, piercing stare only to find all the other zombies, things, _puppets_ mirroring her same smile.

She chuckles. "Desmond sends his regards and his deepest regrets, Iris."

She lunges forward with a screech and I duck out of the way, looking up as the ninja scatter and the other puppets descend on us. One grabs my hair, tugging me back with a scream as another reaches for my arms. Spitfire blazes to life with a roar, my eyes filling with painful tears, and drives them away in a scatter of fire. One of them screams and stares down at burning hands, and I feel my stomach heave with guilt and excruciating memories.

Kai charges forward with a wild yell that snaps me from my memories, heading into the thick of the crowd with the other ninja. I start after them when I'm blocked by another puppet, his young face twisted in an ugly sneer. He holds his hands out to grab me as I knock him aside with the flat of my palm. He stumbles backward and into another group, and I watch with barely-contained horror as one of them falls off the side of the ship with a scream. I stagger back and into something big. I whirl around and raise my arms, but I meet Zane's eyes instead.

"Are you alright?" he asks, tugging me behind him as a group of puppets advances on us.

"No."

The puppets swarm all over the deck, barely held back by struggling ninja as even more climb up the side of the ship. Kai's backed into a corner, swinging his sword to try and escape, but a group of attackers are slowly closing in on him. I leave the uncertain safety behind Zane and rush to help him. The puppets pause to stare at me as I charge into them, covering my face in an arc of fire I quickly tug back. Even with the small amount of fire the puppets stumble away, screaming as parts of their clothes and hair catch. Kai crouches and gasps for breath in the lull, wiping some sweat from his forehead and a streak of blood from a cut above his eye. Zane joins us seconds later, his jaw tight as he stares down every puppet that comes near.

"Zane," I gasp, feeling my lungs heave as more puppets swarm around us. "Where are the others?"

"Here!" Jay tumbles by me, pushed back by an attacker.

Cole's scythe hisses into view as he makes his way over, and the five of us stand in a loose circle as the puppets start to surround us.

"They just keep coming," Jay pants, exhausted. "We can't keep up with this!"

"There has to be a way to stop them," I step forward, my hands trembling. "You're under a spell! You have to snap out of it!"

There's no answer except for a chilling chuckle that spreads through the group as they advance.

"You have no control over us," a man says, the suit he was wearing torn and stained from the fight. "Just like you have no control over yourself. Face it, Iris. You've lost."

"No, you have to fight it!" I shout, desperately looking from puppet to puppet for any sign that my words are getting through. I'm answered with smiles. "He doesn't have to control you!"

"Ash!"

I turn just as the man puppet grabs my throat, crushing my wind pipe under his massive hand as he lifts me from the ground. The other puppets rush forward, overwhelming the ninja before they can try to help. He carries me across the deck, a sick grin plastered on his face as my lungs heave emptily for breath and my vision pops with a thousand black dots. My head cracks against wood as the puppet shoves me into a wall, pressing his hand even deeper into my throat. Fire flares in my hands, but I can't bring myself to use it. This puppet is human, a man who doesn't know what he's doing. Desmond is controlling him, using him to do his dirty work. I can't sink to his level. I can't.

Faint shapes move beyond the haze of my vision as I claw at the puppet's hand with weak fingers. Someone shouts my name, but I can hardly make it out over the horrendous pounding in my ears. The puppet squeezes even tighter, laughing as my grip slowly fails and I let my arms fall.

My eyes start to close when the pressure suddenly lifts and I crash to the floor. My lungs expand with an almost suffocating gulp of air that I immediately splutter out. My chest cracks and burns as I struggle to find the air I'd lost in the haze that makes up my vision. Something reaches out to me through the fog and gentle hands find my face. I look up, expecting to see one of my friends, but instead I'm looking into the eyes of a monster.

Hale's lips twitch into a smile. "Good, you're alright."

"Get away from me," I shove him back with a weak arm curled in sputtering flame, coughing as my voice strangles my lungs. My teeth buzz, nearly chattering, but I manage to focus on the bastard in front of me.

He doesn't even flinch as he pats out the lightly smoldering seams of his gear. His bow is pulled over his shoulder, snug against his quiver, and his casualness makes me want to scream. "Please, Ash. Don't make this any more difficult than it has to be. Just do what Desmond says and he'll stop this attack."

"Save your breath, Hale. I'll never work with you," I cough.

"Don't be stupid, Ash, can't you see that you're losing?" he waves an arm at the chaos around us, at the ninja struggling to fight the puppets that are ready to rip our throats out. "Desmond is ready to kill you and your friends. The only way to save them is to give in."

"Do you honestly believe that?" I spit. "You expect me to help you after all of this? After you nearly killed me? The only thing you're getting is a cushy cage in hell."

"Listen to me, Ash, Ninjago is going to burn whether you cooperate with us or not," Hale presses. "I'm begging you. Save your own skin for once."

"Save my own- you're talking about destroying all of Ninjago and you're telling me I'm being selfish?" my hands clench. "I didn't think insanity was genetic."

He balks. "You know-"

"About your father/son bonding exercise?" my eyes narrow. "Yeah. My dad told me. Right after I told him the reason he had to die."

"What would you have done?" he snaps. "My mother is dead, Ash, because of your parents."

"My parents are dead because of your father," I hiss back. "Your father abandoned you for a selfish plot of revenge and twisted both of us into monsters for his own use. But you know what? I'm not playing anymore. What my parents did was right. Your mother was dying and they did everything they could to help her, but it wasn't enough. My mother raised you when Desmond refused, and what payment did she get? A knife in her back. My parents didn't deserve to die, just as much as your mother didn't."

"They killed her," his voice falls to a whisper. "They watched her die. Your parents were nothing but snakes who deserved what they got-"

I fly at him with a scream, throwing us both to the ground in an explosion of wild fire. Hale struggles against me, but I shove his hands aside as we start to roll across the deck of the ship. My shoulder slams against the railing and I bite back the pain to swing my elbow at Hale's face above mine. He dodges it and grabs at my arms, jerking away as my skin becomes boiling hot under his touch. I shove him away and scramble to my feet, grabbing his bow from his shoulder and throwing it the opposite side of the ship. He grabs hold of my foot and tugs, hard, sending me tumbling back to the ground. My head cracks against the floor, clouding my head with exploding stars as he drags me to my feet and shoves me against the railing. I struggle against his wrought-iron grip on my arms, spitting fire that he ignores as he grabs my face.

"Why can't you just give in? Why do you have to fight back?"

At first I think Hale's just being spiteful, but as my eyes meet his they're filled with desperation I've never seen before.

"He was ready to give you everything, and you just threw it away," his white-blond hair falls into his face, bedraggled and wild, like it's been through hell and back. "I was raised by my uncle while he poured every second of his life into helping you. He _loved_ you, Ash."

"This is love? Killing my parents? Trying to kill me, to kill my friends, to _destroy_ Ninjago? Are you even listening to yourself?"

"I don't care about any of that!" his grip tightens as he nearly shoves me over the railing. "I'm trying to save your life, Ash!"

"Right-"

My words die in my throat as Hale meets eyes with me again, sharp and grey as a hurricane, clouded with intensity. "Ash, don't you understand? After the accident, Desmond came to me so I could help bring you back. I couldn't care less about Ninjago and its power struggles, all I cared about was finding you and keeping you safe. From the very second we reunited in the woods, I have done everything I can to keep Desmond from targeting you. But if you keep refusing him, he will kill you. I'm begging you, Ash, be selfish. Save yourself."

"Hale-"

"I know, what I've done is horrible, unforgivable, insane, really. I'm going to hell for all the things I've done, especially to you," he shakes his head. "But it was the only way to placate Desmond, to keep him from doing something worse. I thought I could save you, that maybe if I did everything he said you would be fine" – He laughs humorless- "But you've always been so selfless, so good at taking care of yourself. You were always out of my league, even before you became a Queen of Ninjago. But that never stopped me from being completely in love with you."

I open my mouth and close it again, not knowing what to say. Hale doesn't look at me, and a few seconds pass before I feel something solid beneath my toes and I realize that I'm back on the ground. Hale lets go of me and takes a step back.

"You never needed my help," Hale says in an almost whisper. "You've managed to do all of this without me, to stand up to Desmond even when you know it's hopeless."

"It isn't," I manage to say through the sandpaper in my throat. His words still tear through my mind, jolting off the sides and burning through every thought. Hale was _in love _with me? All these years, all these attacks? Because he _loved_ me? I try to shake it aside. "These are my friends, and my home. As long as anyone threatens them, I'm going to fight. No matter who stands in my way, and even if it kills me."

Hale's eyes search mind for a few silent seconds, as if he's looking for a chink in my armor. But I've made my decision, I made it the second I learned the truth of Desmond's betrayal. I meet his gaze fearlessly, making sure he sees the burning determination that smolders deep in my core. His jaw shifts and he looks away.

"Then count me out. If you're going to let Desmond kill you, then I won't be around to watch."

He starts to turn away, but I stop him with a smoldering hand. "You're not going anywhere until you release these people from whatever mind control you have them under."

He shakes his head. "It isn't me. My power isn't anything like this," he looks up at the puppets and gives an almost imperceptible shudder, like it bothers him. "Desmond's the only one who can stop it."

"Then where is he?"

"Somewhere nearby. He sent me to try and convince you one last time," he pushes my hand away. "If you're smart, you'll give in."

"Then consider me the biggest idiot you'll ever meet."

He cringes. "Ash-"

I shove him away. "Go, Hale, while I can keep myself from killing you. Leave and never come back. If I ever see your face again, well, you'll see what happens to Desmond soon enough."

"I'm sorry, Ash," his voice falls to a nearly inaudible whisper. "I wish I could make you understand."

"I understand plenty. Desmond poisoned you the same way he poisoned me, except I didn't fall for it."

He flinches like I've struck him, and I can't help the twitch of a satisfactory smile that tugs at my face. He backs toward the railing.

"Then I guess this is goodbye, Ash."

"Forever."

Hale gives me one last forlorn, devastated look before he clasps his hands on the railing and vaults into the trees below. I barely stop to see if he landed before a puppet lurches toward me, pulling me out of my thoughts and shoving back me into battle.

I pull my fire tight against me and start to fight my way back toward the ninja. A few scattered times I catch a glimpse of different colored cloth, and I know they're holding their own, but they're haggard, exhausted, and slowing with each swing at our relentless attackers. My own breath comes in gasps, and my throat throbs with the memory of the man's iron grip squeezing the life from me. We won't last much longer.

_Hale was right. It is hopeless._

"Get down!"

Cole tackles me to the ground, pulling my head down as something sails overhead. There's a chorus of screams as I wriggle from under his arm and try to make sense of what's happening. Just a few feet away, a group of puppets are trapped, screaming, under a thick weighted net. They grapple against the thick ropes, but none of them pull free. Something else explodes and another net flies past our heads, toppling over another group of puppets who had tried to retreat over the railing. Jay scrambles out of the way as one reaches for his foot in a desperate attempt to escape, and flattens himself against the railing as yet another net soars overhead.

"What is that?"

Kai points to a spot behind me and Cole, and we turn to see a dark shape silhouetted against the bright afternoon sky. It looms closer and I realize it's a towering mech decked with gleaming crimson panels and rocket thrusters. A person's head peers from its core, their eyes obscured by a paneled mask as they prepare, aim, and fire nets from their outstretched hands and slowly but surely capture all of Desmond's puppets. The ninja and I get to our feet and cautiously face the impressive mech.

"Do not worry, I am here to help," a metallic voice drones from the mech. Some blinks in their helmet. "I have finished reestablishing your communications."

On cue, the intercom clicks to life.

"Is everyone alright out there?"

"We're fine, Sensei," Kai answers. He glances at the rest of us. "Hope you've been having a better day than us."

"Only a few of Desmond's puppets managed to make it below deck. Nya went to try and get the ship moving again and Lloyd is with me."

He pauses.

"At least he was."

My stomach drops. "He's not there anymore?"

Kai scowls. "He decides to pull a stunt at a time like this?"

"We have to find him," I turn to Cole, my voice almost hitching into a hysterical fit. "If Desmond takes him-"

"I'm fine!"

One of the weapon's chests bursts open suddenly, revealing a bedraggled but otherwise unharmed Lloyd. I nearly collapse as relief hits me like a brick wall, but then a completely different emotion sets in.

"What in the name of all that is holy are you doing, Lloyd!" The ninja hastily move out of my way as I descend on the kid, looming over him as he takes a frightened step back.

"Nya and I got separated, and I didn't know where else to go-"

"So you come out to the worst of the fighting?" I clench my hand against my forehead. "Of all the stupid things to do, Lloyd- if I wasn't so exhausted I'd kill you myself-"

"Ash-"

"No, I don't want to hear it," I grab his shoulders and start to shove him back below deck. "You're going to find your uncle and never leave his sight, you understand? I don't want to see you again until all of this is over-"

"ASH!"

Something explodes behind me, nearly shoving me and Lloyd below deck in a blast of acrid force. I hold Lloyd with a much different intention as I tug him behind me and turn back to the devastation on deck.

The ninja are scattered everywhere, and the mech is nowhere to be seen. A dismal shape stands alone on the deck, wrapped in billowing dark robes that seem to swallow all light around it.

The world comes to a screeching halt.

"Hello, Iris," Desmond smiles, his white teeth flashing. "Are you ready to face your destiny?"


	15. Catharsis

_Here's the chapter we've all been waiting for. Thanks so much for the reviews/reads, I can't even describe how happy they make me, especially when I'm trying to crank out chapters. I hope you enjoy and continue to make my day XD!_

_- Fell_and_Fallen -_

* * *

"Desmond," I breathe, staring at the phantom of the man before me. He looks exactly the way he did in my memories, but his eyes are nearly as empty as his puppets'- intense, furious, terrifying. His brilliant smile is chilling, and I pull Lloyd tighter behind me.

"Don't move, Lloyd," I whisper, feeling him tremble ever so slightly against my back. "It's about time you stopped hiding, Desmond. Now let these people go and face me yourself."

He laughs harshly, his white teeth flashing derisively. "The only coward I see is the ungrateful child before me," he glances around the decimated ship, where his puppets lie moaning and the ninja slowly start to regain their senses. He smiles. "I see you disposed of Hale. Did you make him burn?"

My hands clench at the memory of Hale's departure, of his words that smack around the inside of my head like a bad song. I struggle to shake them aside. "You used him, just like you used everyone else you've ever met. He was your kid and you just threw him aside."

"He was weak, hardly worth the air he breathed," Desmond snorts. The ninja start to struggle to their feet, but with a twist of his hand Desmond sends them tumbling back down. I cringe as Kai's head cracks against the wood, but can't do anything to stop it. My stomach churns. "I'm quite glad you ended him. Saved me the trouble."

Desmond's dark eyes bore into mine and it takes all of my strength not to look away. "How can you stand to judge me when you look on others with such hatred, hm? How could you condemn me for seeking revenge when you seek it yourself?"

"I'm not looking for revenge. I'm looking for justice."

Scathing laughter explodes from his lips. "Justice? For whom? Your parents? The bastards deserved everything I gave them. I wish you remembered it, Iris, how your father screamed while I ripped him apart, how your mother begged for your life-"

Cole lets out a shout as he blindly rushes at Desmond, pulling his scythe from his back as the man turns to face him. His eyes flick to me, and something in me snaps.

"Cole, stop-!"

A terrifying grin spreads across Desmond's face as he shoves his hand at Cole, slamming him into the railing with a crack and an agonizing shout. I take a staggering step forward, but can't leave Lloyd. The other ninja are slowly recovering, but not nearly fast enough.

"Who is this, hm, Iris?" Desmond's fingers clench tightly. Cole's face constricts as he fights whatever pain keeps him tight against the ship. The railing buckles slightly, and my throat chokes. "Another of your useless friends? Or something more, perhaps?"

"Let him go!" my words are strangled as I struggle to pull my gaze from Cole. "I'm the one you want."

"You said no, Iris, what else was I to do?" he chuckles. "You forced my hand, I'm only pushing back."

"Then face me yourself, coward!" I shout, my fists clenching at my sides. Spitfire lets out a low growl. "Or are you afraid to face a ruler at full strength?"

He laughs maniacally, his voice booming and shrill over the moans of his puppets. "You're a pathetic excuse for the pets of the first Spinjitsu Master," he sneers. "But for my purpose, you will suffice."

He slams his head forward and the railing cracks behind Cole. He lets out another pain-filled shout as the other ninja rush forward, only to be sent flying back by another wave of Desmond's hand.

"So what do you say, Iris?" he turns another brilliant smile on me. "Will you face your destiny or will you let your precious friend die?"

His hand presses another centimeter and Cole shifts another agonizing inch. I cringe. "Please, Desmond-"

"Iris, darling, make a decision."

"Ash," Cole's voice is strangled with pain. "I'll be fine. Don't let him win."

Desmond's eyes narrow furiously as he shoves Cole another inch. He hangs precariously near the edge, just an inch from falling overboard. "Shut up, boy, before I silence you myself."

"Let him go!" I scream as my desperation explodes in a searing arc of blinding white flame that blasts at Desmond's infuriating shape. He smirks and meets the fire with an open palm, dispersing them in a blast of dark energy.

He laughs softly, completely at odds with the terrifying rage that fills my stomach. "That's my girl. Are you angry, Iris? Do you want to tear me apart? It's alright, you can try."

I carefully swallow my anger, scorching my throat with its burning power. "No. Not this time."

"Then perhaps you need another push," his grin widens as his eyes fall to the trembling shape behind me. My stomach lurches.

"Don't you dare-"

Lloyd lets out a terrified shout as he and Desmond suddenly disappear. I desperately grasp at the empty air behind me screaming, "Lloyd!"

Darkness congeals and the far side of the ship, forming seconds later into Desmond and a petrified Lloyd. Desmond shoves Kai and Jay aside as they make a grab for him, and another wave of his hand sends Zane toppling over a barely-recovered Cole before he can send a shuriken at his head. He grasps Lloyd in his other hand, holding him out over the side of the ship and the towering forest below.

Desmond's feral sneer widens. "Am I making a more compelling argument now, Iris?"

Fire blazes to life in my hands, wild, bright, nearly uncontrollable. It takes all of my strength not to fly at his throat as I force myself to think about Lloyd and the others. I have to keep them safe. I have to keep my promise. "He has nothing to do with this, Desmond! Put him down!"

"He has everything to do with this!" he spits, eyes flashing with furious rage. His hand clenches tighter on Lloyd's clothes, and the kid scrambles to grab hold of his arm and pull himself back to safety. But it's useless. Desmond holds him even farther out from the ship with a dark glare. "He's just another pawn you've used to reform yourself! You are a monster, Iris, you've proven that a thousand times over! You may think you are in control, but I know the power you possess, I know the way it will inevitably consume you! If he has to die in order for you to learn your place, then I will consider it a well-deserved death!"

"Ash!"

Lloyd starts to slip through his fingers, screaming my name, and my veins explode with an unbearable wrath. I rush forward in a column of flame, letting out a feral scream as I watch Desmond's expression shift. I rip into him in a crash of fire, throwing Lloyd to the deck as Desmond twists under me, roaring with laughter as he and I topple into the world below. I struggle to pull myself upward, back to the ship, but Desmond's hands close on me.

"Embrace it, Iris!" he howls as his nails dig into the neck of my throat and arms. I shriek as he shoves under him, toward the ground, tearing into my hair in the same movement. "Embrace your destiny!"

A feral scream rips away from my throat as my body explodes in fire. I tear at his throat, my eyes filled with bloodlust as my nails rip into his skin. Desmond lets out an agonized shout as his weight suddenly drops below me, tugging me down until we're crashing through the trees. My face splits on an outstretched branch, spattering blood into my eyes that I ignore as I watch Desmond's flesh blister and burn under my grip. He laughs through the pain, his white teeth flashing through the flames. I realize with a start that so am I. I clench my teeth tight together, filling my tongue with the acrid taste of iron and blood as we continue to plummet through the towering trees.

We land with an agonizing crash, rocketing away from each other in the impact. I shriek as a thousand things snap inside my body and I skid to a stop, my shoulder crunching in white-hot agony that makes my vision explode with searing dots. Desmond's dark shape lurches into view nearby and I struggle to follow, but only an anguished scream bubbles from my throat. My eyes fall to the buildings that surround us, all-too-familiar buildings that make my mind explode with the terrifying memories of when I watched them burn. I clench my eyes shut, but their impression is branded to my memory, the way they stood as they did four years ago, just before Desmond-

_Desmond_.

I want to rip him apart, to make him pay for all he's done, for threating my friends, my home. For calling me weak, powerless, corrupted- for bringing back here and threatening the people who have already been through hell. Bloodlust shrouds my eyes in a furious stream, wiping the pain from my body as all my thoughts turn to him, the bastard who lies, crumpled, just a few feet away.

He crawls to his feet, his voice lost in a low, rumbling chuckle. His face is ruined, covered in charred burns that mar his entire body. He must be in complete agony, but he still greets me with a twisted smile that feels me with rage. His sins have gone unpunished for much too long. I want to tear him to pieces, to watch him be consumed in the fire he loved so much, to repay what he did to my parents a thousand times over. _I want him to die_.

"You're finally learning, Iris," he grins with a sickening smile. I get to my feet in a whirlwind of burning agony, but I don't care anymore. The rage fills me like a flood, washing away all pain as I focus in him, on the man I've condemned to die. _I'll enjoy ripping him apart_. "You always had a weak spot for helpless things."

Fire tightens around my hands as I lunge forward with an agonizing scream, ignoring the pain that consumes my body as I focus my wrath on the bastard in front of me. Spitfire roars to life, his eyes blazing and terrifying as his power engulfs me, driving me forward as Desmond and I clash in an explosion of fire and energy.

The world ripples around us as I fight the darkness and close my scorching hands around his throat. Desmond lets out a feral scream as I tear into him with searing arcs of white-hot flame, ripping apart hair, clothes, and flesh with the inferno that scorches around my body in a thousand columns of streaming flame. Spitfire lashes at Desmond with fangs of fire that devour everything he touches, flashing like a snake's in the brilliant light that explodes from his eyes. Blood streaks from my arms mangled in the fall, but my vision is closed to everything except Desmond's maniacal eyes as he howls with laughter, his face twisted and mutilated as I rip into him again and again and again-

_What am I doing?_

I have to make him pay. I have to destroy him for everything he's done. I want to watch him burn, to die in screaming agony-

_But he's not. I'm doing exactly what he wants. I'm losing control._

My hands grow still as Desmond blows me backward in a blast of dark force. My head explodes with agony as I crash into the ground again, snapping me with the crack of my neck back into reality. Darkness hazes my vision, threatening to pull me under, but I fight it and struggle to piece together coherent thoughts.

_You're playing right into his game_. _You're doing everything he wanted_. _You're losing control_.

"Come on, darling? Have you had enough already?"

His voice fills me with such a dark rage, a furious wrath that threatens to set me ablaze. I struggle to my feet as the fire fills my blood, scorching every vein, every muscle, every pore through my entire body.

_No. This isn't you._

Blood pools from my fingers. Why shouldn't he pay? After all he's done? Why shouldn't he die?

_It isn't your place. You promised Stella, your father, Sensei- You promised it wouldn't come to this_.

"Iris, darling."

My hands shake violently in a scatter of wild flame. I bite down on my tongue, already bloodied, and fill my mouth with the taste of thick iron and scorching anger that nearly makes me heave. I want so badly to finish this, to watch the final light fade from his eyes as he realized the consequences of what he's done, of the pain he's caused-

_Fight it, you idiot! Fight!_

I swallow the blood and the rage, blistering my throat with its terrifying power. I think of Stella's words, of the promise I made to my ancestors, of the vow I made to my friends and myself. My gaze flicks to the town that surrounds us, to the petrifying memories I can never relive. I can't fall under his control. Not again. Not ever.

My body wrenches with an explosive pain as I take one step forward, then another, straightening up as Spitfire lets out an agonized growl. I face Desmond with a tight jaw, biting down wrath that threatens to escape my core.

"It's over," I whisper through the pain and caged wrath. My hands tremble violently against my sides and my legs threaten to cave beneath me. I'm in no shape to face Desmond head on, but I force myself to meet his eyes. "You lose."

He howls with a mutilated laugh. "Can't you see, Iris, you can never win!" his feral eyes are wide and filled with a brutal insanity I'll never be able to forget. "It's in your nature to destroy, to mutilate, to kill! Just look at what you've done to me! You're a monster!"

"You're the only monster I see here," I stand tall, drawing strength from Spitfire as I struggle to keep my resolve. "And you're going to pay for your sins."

Desmond spits. "You dare call _me_ a monster? I'd look in a mirror before you start casting judgment on me, you pathetic creature. My sins are but a shadow on yours! The bastards you call your parents killed my Diana!"

"She was already dying!" the fire inside of my rages, and I force it back with clenched teeth. "My parents did everything they could to save her, but it wasn't enough! A disease killed her, not them-"

"You lie!"

Desmond's hand thrusts forward and something clamps down on my throat, choking off my words as my vision explodes with agony and blistering dots. My feet lift from the ground as I claw at my neck, trying to find purchase on whatever's holding me aloft, but it's no use. Desmond's hand closes tighter, and my neck cracks and pops in a thousand ways, throwing me even farther into darkness.

Desmond's eyes are wide, insane, _demonic_ as he howls with laughter. "I never thought I would enjoy anything more than destroying the people who destroyed my Diana, but certainly I've never felt more satisfaction than in this moment," his terrifying, _delighted_ eyes bore into mine as his hand clenches even tighter, his power gouging into my neck with pops of bone and blood that trickle down my mangled shoulders. "I should have killed you when I had the chance, when I could watch Lindell's face as I tore his daughter to pieces. I guess he'll have to enjoy it from hell."

His hand twists tighter and a screeching white noise explodes between my ears. I let out a scream as the agony pervades every pore, every part of my body with excruciating force. I want to give in, to let go of the pain and let myself slip away, but I can't. I have to finish this. I have to stay conscious, to fight the agony. But I'm not strong enough. I can't do it. Spitfire sputters on my arm, desperately channeling a flickering heat that rapidly fades as I feel myself slip. It wasn't enough. All the powers of my ancestors, of my father, it wasn't enough to stop him, to end the pain.

"I'm… sor-ry," the two words gasp from my lips, not directed at Desmond's howling shape, nor the town, or even my friends. All I can see as I fall into the darkness is my father's face, his gentle eyes as I saw him for both the first and last time.

_I'm sorry, father_.

My eyes close… and the world explodes with light.

The force around my throat disappears, replaced by an intense strength that fills my body and drives breath into my lungs. My eyes fly open as flames roar to life around me, surrounding my body with a blistering warmth that floods the air in spiraling columns. A thousand shapes flicker to life on either side of me, my ancestors- tremulous, powerful, and emanating a strength that fills my body with intensity. My father's shape appears next to mine, barely visible in the columns of towering flames as an unfamiliar warmth charges through my blood, sharpening my mind and bringing my body to life. My veins hum with intense energy as I face Desmond lying crumpled on the ground, his eyes furious and absolutely panicked in the face of our power. I let out a breath and a massive wall of flames surrounds us, forming a dome over our heads that screams with a heat I can't even register. I speak, my voice combining with the thousand others in a brutal chorus until the words pound in my ears and through the air like thunder.

"Desmond Vizier, you have committed unforgivable crimes against Ninjago, crimes that have gone unpunished for far too long. You made the choice to chase a dangerous plot of revenge that would have ended in the destruction of not only the very guides created by the first Spinjitsu Master, but of all Ninjago. As keepers of the peace, we hereby sentence you to banishment in the dark realms, where you will wander endlessly until the end of time."

"No!" he screams through mutilated lips. Half of his face is charred beyond recognition, hardly moving despite that passion that explodes from his mouth. "You will not silence me! You are all monsters, driven by selfish need and uncontrollable power!"

"You have been blinded by revenge and have forgotten all the vows you made as an advisor to the rulers of Ninjago," our gaze focuses on Desmond, clouded with light as our power continues to grow. "Your wife passed into the next realm with no such thoughts. She accepted her death, as you should have. Instead of taking her place and raising your son, you committed unthinkable atrocities. Your sentence will be carried out to its fullest extent."

"You will never take me!" Desmond spits. He raises a blackened hand cloaked with darkness. "Not the same way you took Diana!"

With a will of its own, my arm rises and words I don't understand stream from all our lips in deafening unison. A bright light surrounds me as gale-force winds roar to life, merging just beyond Desmond into a whirlpool. Blinding light snaps to life in an explosion of sound and reveals a doorway to a place swallowed by darkness, a portal that wrenches Desmond toward it in a scream of wind. He snatches at the ground, ripping clumps of grass and earth that disappear in the wind. He fights his fate despite the brutal wind that screeches into his face, tearing away pieces of loose, charred flesh that are lost in the void. His head turns to face the abyss and his eyes spark with a sudden inexplicable terror. He looks up at me with pleading eyes, for a second the man he must have been before all this happened, the man Diana knew. Instead of hatred, fury, satisfaction, I'm overwhelmed with pity. This man who was so grieved for his wife's death, driven to complete madness.

"Iris," he whispers, his dark eyes wide, lucid, pleading. "Please. Don't do this. I'm so sorry. Please."

I meet his eyes, guilt and overwhelming pity shoving against my ribcage as I listen to his desperate pleas for help. It's all I can do not to give in. I close my eyes.

"Goodbye, Desmond."

The man who was a nightmare for so long lets out one final, agonizing scream before he finally slips and spirals into the void, his voice lost in the endless darkness.

The world fades away from me. I collapse to the ground in a heap, unable to scream as my neck explodes with throbbing pain. The fire and light that had surrounded me disappear, replaced by the blistering agony that quickly invades every part of my body. My shoulder crunches agonizingly in its joint as I shove myself onto my back with a lurch, moving just enough to face the smoke-filled sky. I struggle to take a breath, my lungs shuddering as I'm impaled by pain. My eyes streaming with dirt and crusted blood fall to Spitfire. He chokes on my wrist, twisting in a mirror of my agony as he shrivels and goes eerily still. I try to move my arm, but it twitches uselessly.

"Spit-fire," I croak, trying to revive the graying dragon. A lance of fear pierces my heart. "No. Wake up."

He doesn't move as my arms go completely numb. A strange coldness starts to creep through my veins, freezing my once raging blood into streams of agonizing ice. My breath fogs as I struggle against the sudden swords of ice that pierce my chest, but I can't fight it. The frigid darkness clouds my vision with lace-like patches of frost, and I can feel my body slowly slipping away from me as the world fades away in brutal cold.

My eyes slide shut and everything goes still.


	16. Phantoms of the Past

_Oo I can't even handle all the reviews I suddenly have XD thanks so much for all the support, especially as this story comes to a close. This and the next chapter were going to be all inclusive, but for sake of flow I've split them into two parts. So sorry for the delay, but you'll have to wait for the last chapter XD Anyways, in regards to the sequel. I have decided to spread my rewriting party to The Queen Who Fell to Ashes, given the fact that it's basically been dead and looking at it there are a THOUSAND continuity errors that make me cry inside, so be prepared for the completely rebooted TQWFTA coming to you soon! :D_

_Anyway, enough announcements. I hope you enjoy :)_

_- Fell_and_Fallen -_

* * *

It's hard to tell how much time passes before my eyes open again. Minutes, hours, days- time seems to blur together as I fade in and out of darkness and murky colors, grasping at consciousness with weak fingers that quickly slip backward into insentience. I stop trying, instead settling back against the cushion of blackness and regaining my strength.

Strange things whisper to me from the void, unsettling voices that brush against me and tug at my exhausted form. A thousand years seem to pass, filled with probing, prodding, unintelligible questions until I finally try to break free of the voices' pull. My stomach strains with pain and sour nausea as I struggle against their hold, fighting to pull my head above water. Something tries to tug me back down, to drag me back into the depths, but I plant my resolve and resist.

Breath explodes in my chest like a crashing car, crumpling my lungs and impaling my ribs with stabs of excruciating pain. I cough violently with a wild spatter of blood that scatters onto my already stain-smeared shirt. My ears pop painfully and sound returns in a brutal, slapping wall. Someone shouts nearby, their voice sounding a million miles away. As my eyes quickly scan my surroundings, I realize with a start that I'm lying in the center of a jagged, dark crater spread around me like an ugly scar. Something tumbles down the side of the crater and a bright-colored shape clatters toward me, scattering rock and dirt that aggravates my lungs into another excruciating coughing fit. My vision blurs as warm hands grasp at my arms and help me sit up despite the agony that wracks my entire body like a freight train.

"-sh, can you he-ar me?"

I struggle to focus on the face above me, blinking until I can make out Kai's familiar, concerned gaze. I try to nod, but my throat is swollen and pulsing with a thousand deep-set bruises and welts. I cough again, spattering blood on my already reddened arms.

Kai struggles to help me straighten up. He looks at me with a stunned grimace. "What did he do to you?"

More shapes move into the light overhead, blistering to look at as painful sunlight sears into my eyes. I shift my gaze, cringing as every muscle in my body twists back. Someone shouts, "You found her?"

Kai's grip shifts on me to wave to the others. The movement crunches my shoulder in its joint, and a strangled scream warbles from my throat. He quickly readjusts. "Down here!"

The other shapes join us, solidifying into the other ninja. They look like they've been through hell. Their faces are painted with scratches and nasty bruises that have barely started to heal, forming mottled patterns against their skin. Zane is missing half a sleeve, Jay favors his left foot, Cole's hair is wild and tangled with who-knows-what-

A barely perceptible chuckle shudders through my chest, setting off another agonizing coughing fit. If they're in such bad shape, I wonder how I must look.

Jay's eyes widen. "Holy sh-"

"Nice to see you too," my voice is strangled as another chuckle rattles my throat, and I barely stop the well-up of blood to my mouth. My lips are numb with blistering cuts, but I manage a tight-lipped smile that no one returns. "How are you?"

"Fine," Cole shakes his head. "Sensei's helping people snap out of the spell. Lloyd's fine, and Nya's trying to get the ship back under control. The giant robot kind of just disappeared."

"Good that everyone's okay," I cringe as each word crawls its way from my mouth. Cole's eyes harden.

"We have to get you back to the Bounty," he says as he drops beside me with the most serious look I've ever seen him muster. He gently grasps my arm and a gurgled scream slips between my lips. He pauses as his gaze falls to my mangled shoulder.

"Looks dislocated," he mutters half to himself. He holds my hand gently. "Sorry, Ash. This is going to hurt." He grimaces. "A lot."

"Can't be worse than-" I cut off with a wild shriek as Cole shifts my arm, snapping my shoulder back into place with an agonizing crack. Zane drops beside me, placing comfortingly cold hands against my screaming joint. Another strangled cough bubbles in my throat.

"Thanks," I gurgle as I swallow the sour bile that tingles the nerves in my teeth like tinfoil. My shoulder relaxes against Zane's cool touch, but still pulses like a raw wound. "That feels… better?"

"Well this is going to feel a lot worse," Cole mutters as he and Kai set their arms under mine and pull me to my feet. I bite down a scream as every bone and muscle in my body explodes with blistering pain. Spitfire lets out a sputtering growl, coughing streams of acrid smoke that smell like I feel. Jay grimaces as he looks at me.

"How bad is it?"

His eyes shift. "I shouldn't answer that-"

"Jay."

He lets out a sigh. "You look like Cole's meatloaf."

Cole gives the blue ninja a glare as I stifle a spluttering snort that clatters through my chest. "Funny," I cringe. "But you should see the other guy."

"What happened to him?" Kai asks, glancing around the decimated crater. His eyes return to mine. "Did you…?"

I shake my head and immediately regret the movement as something snaps inside and numbs my jaw. "No," I speak through slow lips. "He's gone, but not dead."

"Then how-"

"I sent him to the underworld."

They all pause, looking at me with stunned, confused, and disbelieving faces that almost push me to sigh. But the sour, iron taste that pervades my mouth keeps me from doing anything more than take a deeper breath.

"We can talk about it later," I mutter. A rib shifts uncomfortably as I struggle to move forward, lancing into my side with a stab of pain. I wince. "Let's go before I break something else."

A thousand questions hang in the air between us, but thankfully no one asks as we start to struggle from the crater. I move agonizingly slowly, carefully placing each foot against the steep face and groaning every time my hips twist. Jay slips and nearly tumbles back into the crater, but thankfully we make it to the top mostly unscathed.

Zane pauses at the rim of the crater, his clear eyes clouding as he spots something. He holds a hand out for us to stop. The rest of us slow, and I try not to show my overwhelming relief.

"What's up?" Kai asks as we approach. Sweat and blood congeal together on my face and arms, making me feel extremely stifled and hot as we come to a stop against the gratefully cooler ninja. I try not to lean closer to him.

"It seems we have an audience."

I blink through the murky stream that trickles into my vision and realize with a start that a crowd has gathered around the crater. Some of their faces are agonizingly familiar, curious, terrified, and as silently furious as they were four years ago. I shuffle imperceptibly back as I fight the overpowering sense to run, to escape from their accusing stares the way I did four years ago. Cole's arm tightens around me, comforting despite the pain.

"You defeated the monster," someone breathes from the crowd, a young man that I remember used to run a store in the village. He's taller, older, but no less distraught as he was all those years ago.

"Desmond has been defeated," Zane nods carefully. He stands before us cautiously, and Jay moves imperceptibly toward him. "You are safe now."

"Desmond?" another person's face twists in confusion, a woman. She used to do music lessons. I'd nearly taken some from her, but Desmond had decided it would be safer for me to stay home and work on my power instead. "What about the girl? She's the real monster!"

"What?"

I lift my head and a dozen people lurch back. My stomach roils as I remember each of their faces, the way they'd screamed when I destroyed everything they loved-

"Ash isn't a monster," Kai shakes his head, brushing my face with a few strands of his falling hair. The touch doesn't help my frantic nerves. "She's the one who-"

"I lost everything four years ago because of her!" an old man shouts, his eyes wide and furious as they focus on me. He was the mayor, someone I'd only met on a couple of occasions, all of them bad. Whenever I 'stepped out of line' he was the one who came to talk to Desmond, who was the first to point the accusing finger. Turned out he was right.

I try to stumble back away from the crowd as more people start to shout, pounding my head with the terrifying phantoms of the memories I've tried so hard to bury. They explode to life behind my eyelids, no less excruciating than they were four years ago.

"My grandmother died in the fire!"

These people, this town, the people I hurt-

"We're still getting back on our feet!"

I want to clamp my hands over my ears, to stop listening, but I can't. I'm melted to spot in agony and terrifying memories. I crush my eyes shut.

"She needs to be locked up!"

"She's good for nothing but destruction!"

I can't stay here. I can't listen to this, I have to-

"She's a freak!"

"A demon!"

"A monster!"

"ENOUGH!"

The crowd goes silent as Cole storms his way from me, letting my arm fall limply to my side with a cringe of sour pain. I ignore it as I watch him walk up to the crowd, his hands tightly clenched as he glares that them with eyes like stone.

"What the hell is wrong with all of you? Are you all completely blind?" a streak of blood drips down from a cut across his cheek, but he ignores it as he stares down each person in the crowd. "Ash just saved all of your lives and you call her a monster? For something she did four years ago?"

The mayor glowers at Cole. "You know nothing of what she's done, boy-"

"Actually, yeah, I do," the black ninja snaps back. "Because I've watched it tear her apart every day since we met her. I've seen what the nightmares and memories have done to her, we all have. She changed her own goddamn name so she would never forget what she did to all of you! But it was never her fault! Desmond was the one who set her off! He's the one you should hate, the one you should call a monster! Ash just wiped him off the face of the planet and _saved_ your whole town! You should be thanking her right now for everything she's done for you!"

A woman reaches out and slaps Cole, hard, across the face. I nearly heave as an angry streak of red spreads across his cheek as he turns to face her, still angry, but carefully controlled as she glares up at him.

"I will never thank that bitch for killing my mother," she spits in my direction. I can't look her in the eye as the memories crash around my ears like a macabre song. I clench my eyes shut again as I struggle to force them back.

"Desmond killed her parents, too," Cole says. His voice is strained, and as I blink open my eyes I see he's speaking through tightly clenched teeth. "He used your people as his personal puppets to force her into destroying all of Ninjago, and she said no. She just saved the whole goddamn world and nearly killed herself in the process." He gets in the woman's face. "I'm sorry for your loss, but Ash isn't the one to blame."

"You expect us to forgive her for everything she's done to this town?" the mayor shakes his head derisively. "She's been a monster her entire life- she's proven that a thousand times over." His dark eyes meet mine and my chest tightens excruciatingly against my heart. "That will never change."

"Are you even listening-?"

"Cole," my voice is quiet, but almost explosive as the entire crowd recoils. "They're right."

"What?"

I start to tug myself from Kai, nearly collapsing as I wobble on numb legs. I manage to stay standing as I straighten and face the crowd, their faces flickering in and out of darkness and memory as I struggle to keep my focus.

"You're right," I breathe again, my chest rattling with knives of pain that nearly claw up my throat. "I am a monster."

"Ash-"

"I can never be forgiven for what I've done to all of you," I cough and wipe at my mouth as a glob of blood bubbles from my throat. Jay reaches toward me, but I push him away with a weak hand. "When I found out what Desmond did to my parents, I didn't want to forgive him either. What I did… I will never forget. There aren't any words to even come close to the guilt and absolute remorse for… what happened four years ago. For the people I hurt, killed… I can never be forgiven for that."

Another cough wracks my body and I almost double over as bright crimson blood wells up from my throat and streaks onto my arm. Mottled dots crowd the edges of my vision, but I take another clattering breath and shove them back.

"Desmond did push me over the edge four years ago. He is the one who started the fire," I speak through the film that invades my mouth. "But I was powerless to stop it. What I did is my responsibility alone."

"Ash, you don't know what you're saying-"

"I do," I take an agonizing step forward, a stab of guilt slicing through my heart as the crowd takes several terrified steps back. "It's about time I stopped running and face the facts. Desmond's faced his justice, and now I need to face mine." A smile strains at my lips as I face the others. "What kind of ruler would I be if I didn't?"

I turn back to the crowd. "You won't get a fight. Do what you need to."

The mayor steps forward. "You'll be judged brutally for your crimes-"

"Wait."

Another man muscles to the front of the crowd, tugging a small girl with him. His face is covered with stains and faint bruises as he steps between me and the mayor. He's agonizingly familiar, but I can't place him immediately. Not until he speaks again.

His blue eyes meet mine. "I'm not sure if you remember me, Iris," he pauses to wipe at a smear on his face. "I'm, uh, Caiden. We used to live near each other."

I blink as a thousand memories blast to the front of my mind. I barely manage a blank, "Caiden."

A tiny, humorless smile tugs at his lips as he faces the mayor. "Mr. Russo, I think you know that I understand everyone's pain," he cringes toward me. "I lost my sister in that fire."

I have to look away as he continues. "She was everything to me. After she died, I was completely lost. I… I thought about going after the monster who killed her, to make her feel what I felt… but I realized that isn't what Karina would want."

Everyone's head perks up in surprise, even my own. Caiden looks a little sheepish as everyone stares intensely at him, but continues. "No one deserved to die that day, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that none of them would have wanted revenge, especially not against the wrong person," his blue eyes meet mine. "Iris is telling the truth. What happened today was Desmond. I-I watched the whole thing happen, I watched him say god-knows-what and entrance half the people in town to follow him. Most of you probably don't want remember it or you were hiding, but I saw the truth."

His hand tightens on the girl's, who I'd nearly forgotten about, and his eyes soften. "She might not have been able to save Karina, but she did save my daughter," his gaze returns to mine. "I can't forgive you for what you did to my sister, but for saving my daughter… I can't thank you enough."

The crowd is completely silent as we take in Caiden's words, ones that rattle in my head over and over again until they've lost their meaning. The quiet breaks as he turns back to the mayor.

"I think we've all suffered enough," he says. "Let them go."

"But she-"

"Look at her! She needs medical attention!" Caiden takes a calming breath. "I think we should trust the ninja on this one. If they say she's more than paid for what she's done… then I believe them."

"Caiden-"

"You've heard the stories, Mr. Russo, just like we all did. Iris' power isn't normal, she's one of the rulers of Ninjago. Granted, I thought they were myths, but what she did to Desmond," he shakes his head. "I can't see how you wouldn't believe."

He turns back to me. "And it's not like we aren't at fault," he cringes. "What I said as a kid, what we all said and did-"

"You didn't know," I shake my head and bite back another cough. "None of you did. None of this was your fault-"

"It was Desmond's," Caiden nods. A small smile quirks his lips. "And you took care of him yourself."

"But-"

"Accept it, Iris," he turns to the mayor. "So what will it be?"

Hard lines crease into the older man's face as he frowns. He speaks slowly. "We've lost so much to this girl. And like you said, her acts are unforgivable," he lets out a breath. "But I've never been one to leave a debt unpaid. You did save our town today, so I will allow you to leave."

His dark eyes bore into mine. "But you can expect the full power of the law should you ever return. No amount of good words will save you."

"Thank you," Cole glowers as he takes hold of my arm. I fight the urge to collapse against him, instead looking to Caiden.

"I'm sorry about your sister-"

"Please, Iris," he shakes his head. "I'd rather not remember it. Just… thank you for saving us."

My chest opens a little wider for air before Kai takes my other arm and the ninja start to lead me away into the forest. Tidal waves of hostility and reluctance follows our every step, tainting the air like a heavy fog as we limp away from the crowd and the haunting buildings. I shuffle along as fast as I can, moving my legs as far as possible as every breath brings explosive bouts of pain, but eventually the atmosphere and sluggishness becomes too much.

"We have to get out of here," Cole grumbles as he suddenly lifts me into his arms with a barely contained scream from me. One of my ribs cracks and shifts as I settle against his body, gaining one last glimpse of the town and people of my haunting childhood before we rush into the curtain of trees and disappear.


	17. Ceasefire

_I can't believe it's finally over. It felt like I started this reboot just a couple of weeks ago XD Thanks so much for sticking with me and leaving such wonderful feeback! From here on out, any and all updates on this story will be deleted scenes/ episodes from season 2 that I've always wanted to do/ prompts, so if there's anything and I mean anything at all that you want to read, hit me up because I'm ready to new ideas! _

_I hope you'll join me soon on the REBOOT of The Queen Who Fell to Ashes, with new drama, story, and much better writing!_

_- Fell_and_Fallen -_

* * *

"Ash, you're okay!"

Cole barely sets me on the deck before Lloyd tackles me in a rib-shattering hug. I bite down a scream as I gently push him away from me, giving him as much of a smile as I can through the pain.

"Hey, kiddo. Glad to see you're in one piece, too."

"Thanks to you," he grimaces. "You were right, I shouldn't have come up when I lost Nya-"

"It isn't your fault, kid," I ruffle his hair a little. "I'm just glad you're okay." I return my hand to my mouth, heaving another bloody cough that makes everyone cringe.

"We need to get you looked at," Cole says. "Lloyd, where's Sensei?"

"Here," the old man rises from below deck and approaches, clicking his walking stick on the mangled deck. I greet him with a blood-tinged smile that makes his eyes widen. "What happened?"

"Long story short," I cough. "I sent Desmond to the Underworld."

"You did what?" he spits, looking as if I ran him over with a freight train. "By yourself?"

"Well, no," I shake my head and snap something that makes my shoulder go numb. "My ancestors helped. But he's gone now-"

"Ash, you are incredibly lucky to be alive," Sensei breathes, reaching out to wipe a smear of blood from my face. "Opening a portal to the Underworld is not easily done, especially for someone like yourself."

His eyes cloud with dark memories, but before I can press on them Kai speaks.

"What about Hale? Did he get sucked into the magic portal too?"

My heart stalls as I look up into their inquisitive eyes. I cough lightly to cover the pause as my next few words slip without thinking, "Uh, yeah. He did. They're gone."

Cole relaxes. "Then it's over," he breathes and gives me a smile I halfway return. "It's all over."

Sensei looks at me questioningly, but before he can ask what I hope isn't on his mind, Nya appears.

"Good, you're back! I just-" she pauses as she catches sight of us- the bedraggled ninja and my own broken form barely standing on its own. Her mouth snaps shut with a clack of teeth, and she coughs lightly to compose herself. "You look like hell."

"We feel it too," Kai shakes his head and scrubs a patch of dried blood from his wrist. "Can we save the chitchat for later and rest? I could sleep for a week."

"Of course," Sensei nods. He offers me his walking stick. "Here. You need this more than I do."

I scowl, but accept it. "Thanks."

* * *

Nya and Sensei work on me far into the evening- readjusting limbs, sewing stitches, cleaning blood. The hours tick by in a mixture of agony, Sensei's god-awful tea, and the occasional visit from one of the ninja as they wander wearing icepacks or bandages, but soon enough it calms to a semi-pleasant night.

Nya remarks on how much has already healed since I reached the Bounty. Just a few hours since we returned, my coughing has subsided and I've started to taste more of the sharp lemon of Sensei's tea and less of my blood's iron.

"It's just another gift you were given," Sensei says as he finishes applying a mint-smelling ointment to a gash on my neck. "You will heal exponentially in the next couple of days."

"Sounds good," I cringe as Nya tightens the stitches in my leg. "Though now would be nice."

Lloyd's my last visitor for the night, checking in as Nya helps me set up pillows to keep me propped up and pain free. He apologizes for his stunt earlier for the thousandth time and Nya shoos him out with a promise we'll talk later. I give her a thankful smile as she returns to my bed.

"Nya, what would this ship be without you?" I shake my head as she adjusts a pillow.

"Burning in a ditch somewhere," she chuckles. "Not that you'd hear anyone else admit it. You're the only exception to the boy's club."

"That isn't true. You know this ship better than any of us."

"That's because I'm here all the time," she sighs as she slumps in a chair. Dark strands of her short hair fall into her face, obscuring her cherry-red lips. "I wish I could do the stuff you do. Go out, hunt the bad guys, bring justice to the world- instead I'm cooped up here."

I grimace. "I never really thought of that…"

She looks up and bites her lip. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel bad-"

"No, Nya, you're right," I sit up despite the violent protest my back makes. "Here you are doing all this amazing stuff and no one's giving you props for it. I mean, look at me- I wouldn't be alive right now if you weren't there to pick up the pieces."

"Ash-"

"I mean, here you are with some of Ninjago's greatest warriors and none of us have even considered teaching you to fight," I shake my head. "What kind of jerk friends are we? Sure, I can understand Kai's whole sibling-rivalry type of thing, but the rest of the ninja? Me? Damn, Nya, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize-"

"We just kind of shackled you to Lloyd and maintaining the ship, but you're capable of more than that. Your program was what led us to Desmond in the first place, plus you got the ship back on its feet after the whole attack, and managed to return all of the people Desmond was controlling to their homes safely on top of that-"

"Wait-"

"I don't blame you for wanting something more. If I were in your position, I would've gone insane months ago-"

"ASH!"

I come to a screeching halt, staring up at Nya's wild eyes as she stands above me. She takes in a deep breath and sits back down.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," she grimaces. "But… there's something you should know."

I blink. "What?"

She wrings her hands together, tapping one thumb against the other in a movement I've seen Kai do on a couple of occasions. She bites her lip and takes a long time to speak. "I know you're trying to be nice and all, and I really appreciate it, I do. But there's more about today that you should know."

"Alright," I cautiously sit back against my pillows. "What is it?"

Nya bites her lip again and glances around the room. "Well, you know how I was supposed to look after Lloyd during the attack?"

I nod. "You were trying to gain control of the ship and lost him in the chaos. It wasn't your fault."

She cringes. "Yes it was," she fumbles her hands and squeezes her eyes shut. "I ditched him."

I sit back up fast enough to pull a dozen muscles. "You what?"

"I left him in a safe place," she says hurriedly. "I didn't think he would try to find you. It was stupid, I know-"

I shake my head and try to sort out the tumult of emotions and thoughts that crashes through my head. "But why?"

"That's the thing," she bites her lip again. "You, uh, remember that mech that came to help you out?"

I nod, then something wriggles to the front of my mind. My eyes widen. "Nya, what did you do?"

She smiles sheepishly. "That was me."

"That was-" my mouth stalls, opening and closing a dozen times before I get my wits together. Nya was the person in that mech? Tiny, untrained, probably-too-smart-for-her-own-good Nya? "That was you? How even-?"

"I doodled blueprints when you were on missions, and thought 'hey, why not?'" she laughs humorlessly. "Granted I didn't have all the parts, but with a little scrounging I managed to slap it together just in time."

"Slap it together-" my mouth stalls again and I shake my head. She cringes.

"I know, I know, it was really stupid, I shouldn't have done it-"

"Nya, that is the single most amazing thing I've ever seen anyone do in my entire life!" I shake my head again. "How could you be ashamed of that?"

"Because if I hadn't left Lloyd, he wouldn't have gone on deck and you wouldn't be, well," she gestures to the bed. I roll my eyes.

"Honey, I would be in this position with or without your help, that's just the way it was going to end. But you saved countless lives today," I say. "You should be basking in the glory right now. I mean, when the boys find out-"

Her eyes widen. "You can't tell."

"But Nya-"

"But nothing," her face hardens, then softens again with a sigh. "I know you want to help, Ash, I appreciate it. But the boys can't know yet. Not even Sensei. I'm still trying to sort myself out on this whole… business, and I don't want today to be an excuse for them to take it away from me."

Her wide eyes settle on mine. "Please, Ash. You can't tell anyone."

"Nya-"

"Do I need to blackmail you?" her eyes harden again, only to immediately shut. She takes in another breath. "I saw what you did to Hale."

I bite my lip. "Oh?"

"You didn't throw him in the Underworld," she opens her eyes again. "You lied to the others."

I grimace. "Yeah, about that-"

"What did he say to you for you to let him go?" she asks. "What he did was unforgivable."

"I know, I know," I sigh and settle against my pillows. I fiddle with the bracelet around my wrist, turning it as Hale's final words crowd together and nearly explode from my hazy mind. "And honestly, I don't have an answer. I guess in the end I pitied him. Desmond broke him and manipulated his emotions as a tool to get me on his side." I cringe. "He thought he was doing the right thing. He was... He was trying to save me."

Her copper eyes widen with realization. "He said he loved you."

I don't answer, and the room goes painfully silent.

"It's funny," my voice sounds tinny and stale in the suddenly still room. "All this time hating the two of them, and right now all I feel is… empty. Like I've just run out of batteries."

"That might be the tea," Nya quips half-heartedly, biting her lip as she sits back in her chair. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"This has been a really upsetting day in general, Nya," I shake my head. "Don't apologize."

I close my eyes for a second, then finally let out a deep breath and settle back against the pillows. "So I guess it's a deal. You keep my secret, I keep yours."

She nods a little and coughs. "The boys can't find out about any of this."

I crack a smile to try and recover the mood. "Because one or both of us will end up dead otherwise."

She laughs. "Team Estrogen's got quite the skeletons in its closet."

I let out a breath. "That it does, Nya, that it does."

I stare up at the empty sky just beyond the window, dotted with stars that seem like smudges on the glass. My mind turns for the first time away from Desmond, from Hale, from Arashi, from everything that's haunted me the past four years, and suddenly I find myself worried about things that have barely touched my thought in what feels like an eternity.

"There's still a lot of work to be done," I whisper as the candlelight pops with heat. I calm it with a gentle movement of my hand, but nearly smother it as my hand twitches with pain.

"The Serpentine are still out there," she nods. "And who knows what else."

"No rest for the weary, I guess," I crack a smile as I turn away from the endless night. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire."

"We'll find a way to deal with them," she smiles. "We always do."

"Right," I nod as I raise my eyes to Spitfire. His color has returned in all its intensity, burning a brilliant crimson that shimmers in the low light. He releases a gentle ring of smoke as his blazing orange eyes meet mine, shining with a determination that I can feel through my entire being.

I raise my head. "Evil better watch itself, because now there's nothing holding us back."


	18. Hale Returns

_Just as an introduction, the chapters from here on out are all shorts. They will mostly be unrelated to each other and will be updated as they come._

_This space will be used less for notes and more for information, like for this short:_

**POV: Hale**

**Setting: Immediately after the last chapter of The Girl Who Played With Fire**

_I'd like to do more of Hale's point of view, so let me know what you think of this. If you have any ideas for prompts, feel free to let me know, and most of all, enjoy! _

* * *

It feels like a thousand years since I visited Arashi. Even longer since I've been able to look up without feeling some sort of guilt. No one seems to recognize me as I step past the gleaming new store fronts, redone since the last attack. I don't blame them. So much of me has changed since I left, I hardly even recognize myself in the mirror.

A friendly voice greets me from outside a café. I pause, not really sure if I should answer, but then they speak again.

"Hale? Hale, is that you?"

I turn to face the person who'd spoken to me, realizing with careful analysis that it's an unfamiliar guy. He's older than me, one- two years tops. He approaches with a lazy stride and an equally casual grin.

"Wow, it's been forever, stranger," he reaches out a hand for me to shake. "How's it going?"

I take it carefully. "Good," I answer. "Sorry, but who are you?"

He blinks. "You don't remember me?" he chuckles. "It's Caiden, remember? Used to wail on you when we were kids."

"Oh," I blink back the dozen or so unpleasant memories that stir at the back of my mind. "Right. Caiden."

He grimaces slightly. "Yeah, I- uh- should probably apologize for that whole mess," he shakes his head. "Lot of things changed after the fire, including me. So, uh, no hard feelings?"

"None at all," I nod.

"Hey, why don't you come get a drink with me?" he pokes a thumb at a bar just down the street. "Relive the glory days, huh?"

"I'm uh, not old enough to-"

"Then something a little calmer. It's been a long time," Caiden says. He offers a grin. "Humor a childhood pal?"

I let out a breath and finally accept. It's not like I have anything else to do today except wander around stirring unpleasant memories that remind me of… I shove the thoughts aside. Caiden leads me into the bar with a friendly wave at the bartender and sits at an island built for two. I take the stool next to him as he orders a couple of drinks- a soda for me and a scotch for him. I can't help the incredulous expression that tugs at my eyebrows.

"Scotch? At this time of the morning?"

He chuckles as the bartender arrives with the drinks. "Only on special occasions," he halves the glass as I take a sip of my own drink. The caffeine burns my throat. "So what brings you back to Arashi after all these years, huh? Don't tell me it was the fond memories."

"Just, uh, sightseeing, I guess," I shrug. "It's… been a long time."

He takes another drink and drops the glass with a twitch of his neck. He coughs slightly as the alcohol burns his throat. "Yeah, it feels like forever even though it's only been four years," he looks at me with watery blue eyes. "You left after…"

I nod. "Yeah."

He sits back slightly. "I lost my sister in that fire. Thought about leaving, but couldn't," he shakes his head. "I wanted revenge for what Iris did to Karina, but in the end I realized I couldn't go through with it."

My hand tightens on my glass, and Caiden notes it with careful eyes. His gaze flicks back up to mine.

"You were close to Iris, weren't you?" he takes another drink. "You visited her and her dad often." He snorts a little. "Well, if he counts as her dad."

I swallow the lump that's settled in my throat. "Something like that."

Caiden chuckles a little into his drink. "I was the one who defended her when she showed up a couple weeks back," he shakes his head. "It was quite the sight. She obliterated Desmond from the face of the planet, saved our town, and then asked us to punish her for what she did four years ago. Russo was ready to do it too, but after seeing that look in her eyes… I couldn't go through with it."

His jaw shifts as he scrutinizes me. "Out of all the people there that had lost so much in the fire, I was the only one able to see how much she had already paid for what she'd done," he snorts lightly. "Well, me and her scythe-wielding boyfriend."

My jaw clenches imperceptibly at the mention of _Cole_. It's stupid, really, how angry I get just at the insinuation of his name or character- but here I am overloaded with testosterone and Grade-A envy in the middle of a bar just blocks away from where I'd first met Ash so many years ago. My hands tighten and Caiden lets out a sigh.

"I knew it. You're still in love with her."

I take a deep breath and relax my grip. "I don't know what you're talking about."

His watery eyes pierce into mine almost as strongly as Desmond's once did. _Good riddance_. "Don't lie to me, Hale, I know a lovesick boy when I see one, and you are head over heels."

"So what?" I glower. I'm starting to regret accepting his invitation. "She has a boyfriend."

"So what are your chances?" Caiden waves to the bartender to bring another round. "I met the man once. What's he like? How happy are they? What are your chances of replacing him?"

I take an impatient swig of my soda. "Personally, I think he's a douchebag, though plenty of people would beg to differ. They're disgustingly happy together, from what I've seen, and she hates my guts for helping Desmond-"

I blink, realizing all-too-late what's exploded from my mouth. Caiden gives me a sly smile.

"I was wondering when you'd realize that was half vodka."

I cough up the liquid I'd swallowed. Well, that explains the burning lump in my throat. "You _dosed_ me?"

He shrugs. "I said I was taking you for something calmer, never said non-alcoholic."

"You slipped me vodka!"

"And for good reason," he leans forward and lowers his voice to a level that only I can hear above the hum of other patrons. His eyes flick carefully over my shoulders. "No one really remembers what happened when Desmond cast a spell on half the town, but I sure as hell remember seeing you skulking around. Now tell me, Hale, what exactly were you helping him with?"

I swallow the remnants of the scorching drink. "So what, you can kill me instead of-"

"I thought we settled this. I'm not looking for revenge, I'm just looking for answers," his eyes bore into mine. "I've spent too long mourning my sister's death to settle for some half-assed recollection and speculation. Just tell me what you were doing and I'll never speak to you again."

I clench my teeth. "Alright, Caiden, but I don't think you're going to like the truth any more than that 'half-assed recollection'."

He sits back. "Try me."

My hands clench and unclench in my lap, suddenly itching to scoop up another swig of the tainted drink. I take a deep breath instead. "First and foremost, you should know that Desmond isn't Ash- Iris' father. He's mine."

Caiden's eyes widen, but he doesn't interrupt. I continue. "He didn't tell me until nearly two months after the fire. I was living with my uncle when he came to visit. He said Iris' parents had killed my mother and he needed my help to make them pay for what they had done. I was pissed of course, but excited at the same time. I'd never had a father before, at least one I could remember, and here he was inviting me on an adventure to get back at the people who had murdered my mother. He spent the next four years molding me into his perfect soldier, teaching me all he knew and honing my skills until I was his in body and in mind. Then, he set me on Iris."

My eyes close and clench at the swirling memories, of seeing Ash's face after so many years… "I can't even describe how it felt to see her again, to have her so close and to know what Desmond planned for her," I shake my head. "I knew I had to keep her safe. From then on, I did everything in my power to convince her I was right, that Desmond's path was the right one. I used every tactic Desmond taught me and she thwarted all of them."

I shake my head. "All these years and all this time trying to save her, and suddenly I realized she'd already saved herself," my teeth clench tightly. "And embraced her new friends to boot. She hates me, loathes me probably, but she let me live. Desmond was psychotic, but I made my choices. If anyone deserved to be trapped in the underworld for all eternity, it's me. But she didn't."

I take another drink of the hard soda, finding some comfort in its burning taste. Caiden gives me an appraising look.

"Is that why you came back? To wallow in self-loathing?"

"Honestly, I wanted to see the damage I'd done," I growl. "Hell knows I deserve misery."

Caiden rolls his eyes, the complete opposite of what I'd expected. "You are a very unhappy drunk, aren't you?"

"I don't understand-"

"You, my friend, really need to get a slap of reality to the face," he shakes his head. "Trust me, self-pity gets you nowhere."

"Caiden-"

"No, I sat here and listened to your deprecating little speech, so now you can shut the hell up and listen to my advice."

My jaw snaps shut and he grins. "There," he takes another drink. "Isn't that better? No wonder you don't have any other friends. If I had to listen to that every time we brought up family I'd have run too."

He shakes his head. "Look, Hale, you're upset and angry with yourself. I understand that. Hell, there's a part of me that's pissed with you too. But dammit, man, you have to get over yourself."

"But-"

He gives me a look and I shut up again. "My sister died in the fire four years ago. She got stuck trying to escape her house and died of smoke inhalation," Caiden shakes his head. "She suffocated and I wasn't there to save her. I beat myself up over it for months, seething, thinking of finding Iris and ripping her apart for what she did. How Kim stayed with me through all that, I'll never know, but when she got pregnant… I reevaluated my anger. I realized being pissed at Iris or even myself wasn't going to bring Karina back. Just like that, I put away the anger and decided I was going to stop feeling sorry for myself and raise my kid the way I knew Karina wanted."

His gaze returns to mine. "What I'm trying to say, kid, is that you have got to move on. That's something half this town hasn't figured out. I'm surrounded by anger and grief, most of it directed at the wrong person. I say to hell with what Desmond did to you, to all of us. You have to take back your life. I have, Iris has- if you want any chance of winning her over, you've got to pull yourself together."

He grabs a napkin and a pen from a passing waiter and scrawls something down on it. He shoves the napkin toward me and I glance at the series of numbers scribbled crookedly across it.

"That's the address for Arnie's old shop in Ninjago City. He's been having problems since the fire and its looking to sell it for cheap," Caiden explains. "You used to make things, right? You made your own bow?"

I nod. "Took forever, but yeah."

"Good. Then you got some marketable skills," he says. "I can help you buy the shop. You pay me back, start a business, get your act together, and you just might convince Iris you've changed."

I clutch the napkin and fold it over in my hands. "Why do you even care?"

He takes a deep drink and grins. "Because I like to root for the underdog," he chuckles. "But even if it doesn't work out, there's plenty of other fish in the sea."

I let out a snort, and he rolls his eyes.

"What, you need proof, lover-boy? The girl I dated before Kim, Leah, you remember her, right? Tall, blonde, every man's dream?"

"I haven't been here since I was a kid. You honestly expect me to remember a girl you liked?"

Caiden pulls my drink away from me and continues. "As I was saying, I thought she was the one. I loved her more than anything else the world, I thought we were going to have kids, grow old, the whole nine yards," he shakes his head. "I proposed to her and you know what, she turned me down. Turns out she'd been dating my cousin on the side and was-ah- starting a family with him." He chuckles. "Needless to say, we broke up. Now, I'd known Kim my entire life but never thought of her as anything more than a girl I saw every once in a while on the street, but when she and I started working together… Well, the rest is history. Now she and I are married and have the prettiest little girl that I love more than anything else in the universe."

He sits forward. "Iris isn't the only girl out there, Hale. Hell, she might already be making a scrapbook for wedding ideas. But you know what? It isn't the end of the world. Fate has a funny way of throwing you curveballs."

"Yeah, Fate," I reach for my drink and he tugs it away. "I've had enough of that."

"Then not Fate," he says. "Just remember what I said if this goes south, alright? I'm sure there are other lovely girls out there who are dying to meet a guy like you."

He hands my drink back over and I take a grateful drink. My head is starting to swim, probably from the vodka, making it easier to accept Caiden's words. I give him a slightly lopsided smile and finally agree with him. I slip the napkin in my pocket and raise my glass in a toast.

"To screwing Fate."

Caiden grins and raises his own. "To screwing Fate."

As the world slowly fades into a semi-sentient blur, my mind mulls over what he said. Yeah, I can prove myself to Iris, show her that she was wrong about me. No, not that she was wrong. That I've changed. That I regret everything I did. I mean, if Caiden believed me, why wouldn't she? Why wouldn't anyone?

Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll make the trip to Ninjago City and find that shop. I'll get my act together and find a way to make it up to her. Make it up to everyone. And although it makes me sick to think about it (part of that might be the alcohol) Caiden is right. Even if Iris is too far gone with Cole… Well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. For now I can lose myself in drinks and awkward stories with the guy who tossed me around as a kid. No, not that.

My friend.


End file.
